Species: The Unknown Strain
by Marutectz552
Summary: Evolution has ways of having any organism survive the world that is it's environment, sometimes anomalies occur even when everything that has been studied and an organism adapts. Sometimes even man himself must evolve whether he acknowledges it or not, yet when a strain of alien origins enters the mix. Sometimes evolution has a way of creating an unknown strain just to survive.
1. Prologue

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Prologue**

I must have yawned for like the fifteenth time because sitting in a lab like this truly wasn't the most exciting thing around here. Why did I come here again? Ah now I remembered of course, this was due to my parents who wanted me here for some reason or another. Hell being scientists funded by the government and held all the cards for me to follow. So being grounded because I said no, in short I had to come to this place and be forced too regardless of my answer.

I knew it wasn't the best thing in the world.

Yet this sucked!

Unfortunately I had found myself walking through the base itself, or well the labs that my parents were frequent to work around. I felt like a ghost at times when I tried to understand why they were so _determined_ to work here, I didn't feel like it was the best place for a kid like me to spend around and I was being optimistic. Every hallway looked the same, the same damned doors and I hardly saw anyone my age around as well.

Basically I summed it up in two words, again!

This sucked!

Inhaling through my nose I did what I could to pass the time wandering aimlessly inside this place, I never noticed the guards pay me much attention whenever I did see one. Which was like rare as all hell, I hardly ever saw an armored person walk near me and I had to idly kick an empty space of air out of sheer anxiety. I knew I shouldn't have been wandering around but, the waiting area seemingly boring all to heck and I figured to walk around, someone had to notice me eventually.

" _Well, least I hope so."_

Stuffing both hands into my pockets I kept on walking through the hallways, no seemingly was around and that kind of annoyed me. I'd probably go crazy in a place like this trying to get by, I mean I didn't consider myself to be a loner but I was human. I liked to talk to a few people usually, considering I was moved around a lot by my folks who were clearly told by the government. Years of new schools and years of being the 'new' kid certainly got my tolerance of finding social callings limited, friends was a word I could sparingly use in my life so far.

I've always wondered if this was how people wound up in an asylum, talking to themselves and pretty much thinking themselves to death. It'd be a hell of a comedy in my eyes to consider it, human will at its finest to make oneself go crazy from pondering why they were able to think. I could picture the reactions of doctors and professional adults who did this type of thing daily, they'd think I'd be a riot in order to see my problems. So in the end I just shrugged to myself while continuing on my exploration of the lab complex, it killed time for sure and I'd be damned otherwise to consider myself normal in today's standards.

But then again I was bored.

Bored always translated me into doing something time consuming.

"Whoa!"

I blurted that word out when I came to an open doorway of sorts, I literally stopped in my tracks to see a junction of a hallway split into three ways! I blinked when I looked around to see where the hell I was at, I mean damn, this seemed way too eerie for my liking. It was so silent that I could kick the floor and my sneakers would echo if it dragged onto the floor, which was polished somewhat. I felt uneasy when I noticed the halls leading to my left and right were closed by a double steel door, I figured it was coded or unlock-able if someone had the access card for it.

So that left me to go straight.

Although what I saw from here made me blink several times, I could see an open room of sorts and a box of glass? I honestly snorted in disbelief, " _This is some weird stuff man, never seen this part of the base before. Never knew they were into storage labs, ah well, what's the worst that could happen_?" I told myself this a few times even when I started to walk into the open room, I noticed several cameras pointed at the far back where the glass was at. I couldn't make anything out at first, just a lot of smoke or whatever type of steam that the lay inside the glass box itself.

Curiously enough I inspected the large room, steel walls were lined up all around me and I happen to notice a camera actually _turn_ towards me. Sheepishly grinning, I think I had the impression someone knew where I was at finally which wasn't as bad as it could have been, right? So I waved at the camera like a cheeky bastard, my father always called me that and he never meant it as a bad thing. I found it funny yet my mother slapped him just as much as me, when the times called for it. That was when we were all together for a family dinner or something, rare as that crap was at times.

Sighing to myself, "Guess I should head back. Nothing really to see here..."

A thud on the glass made me kill my words immediately!

My body reacted when I jumped back yelping in total surprise, I tripped over my own two feet to land squarely on my behind and had my head hit the hard floor for my troubles. I winced when I hissed out in pain trying to ward it off, rubbing the spot that throbbed agonizingly tender, just what in the living hell hit the glass? I didn't expect anything to be in for my own sake, hell since when did thudding noises scare the living crap out of me? I knew for a fact I'd have a heart attack before my next birthday, I turned thirteen in August anyways.

Another thud on the glass made me freeze yet again!

"Okay! What the hell is doing that? Seriously, it's creepy!"

Willing my legs to get me up, I did what I could to stem myself from freaking out over something hitting glass inside a box, " _Totally not creepy in the least! C'mon man, you can do this, just walk over and check it out. Nothing bad is going to happen, nothing bad is going to happen."_ Even in my thoughts I wasn't kidding anyone, I felt completely psyched out for no reason and it'd only get worse. Warily my hands clenched into fists as I slowly made my way over towards the glass's exterior, I kept my eyes trained ahead to see through the steamy interior. Grumbling to myself I finally worked up the courage to actually man up by, placing my palm on the glass's surface.

And it was warm!

"See it's nothing, you were just over reacting..."

My words were steady until I saw another palm perfectly _copy_ my own hand, the only difference was that it was coming from inside the glass box. It took me several minutes to fully comprehend what the heck this meant, I almost fell down again due to the sheer unexpected shock overwhelming my body! This was totally messed up, I really wanted to figure out what in the living hell was this to begin with and I had only two words to sum up my feelings.

" _HOLY SHIT!'_

A slender hand mimicked my limb, I felt my heart race when I realized that. So I moved it over to the left and the other hand followed. I really thought this was weird, I went back over to the right to make sure I wasn't going crazy and the other hand within followed. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing and I had to make sure to use my spare hand to rub them out of reflex. I had no idea in what I was dealing with here and for the love of god, I'd go insane to not understand why!

I would've done something, but instead the hand itself began to reveal its owner.

Stepping out, or rather stumbling to the glass was a girl!

And I promptly closed my eyes!

I saw a girl who had no clothes on and I'd be damned to not hear my mothers ranting about being respectful to a female. My dad once said to me he'd be talking to me about girls in general, I had no clue as to what that meant and to be fair, I'd not consider what it meant for the sake of my peaceful life. Still that reflex made me shut my mind off to revert to not seeing a person without clothes. Taking a breather I did what I could to awkward speak to the girl, who I thought was staring at me and it wasn't impossible to think I'd be that much of a jerk to not say something.

No matter how awkward this whole situation seemed.

"Um, hi there, I ugh..." Yup, it was official as this was probably the most craziest thing in my life I had done. My first attempt speaking to a naked girl ends in failure, I snapped at myself in frustration at how embarrassing this whole scene seemed to me. In the end I wanted to bite my tongue to stop my stuttering but it seemed to effortlessly increase when I peaked out from the cracks of my fingers. I just figured to at least look like a sensible person who didn't seem a naked person in front of them.

Insanely difficult to not consider blushing, I thought this was a set up or something.

"Well, this is kind of awkward. I don't suppose you have any clothes inside there, to you know, cover up or something?"

When I peaked through my fingers I happened to watch the prettiest blond girl I had ever seen stare at me blankly, her head tilted to the side. I dared myself to call it cute, but I'd not be caught dead admitting to such a word without being tortured under the pain of death! I frowned physically when the girl didn't as so react to my words, so did she not understand or something? If that was the case then this made it increasingly anxious more so than it had to be.

"Hello? Earth to silent girl, do you understand me?"

Another blank stare although the big difference this time was she tilted her head to the opposite side. I almost sighed to the point where I wanted to slap my face, I guess she didn't understand what I was saying and I knew immediately this wasn't right at all. Inhaling through my nose I decided to at least try this in a more simpler manner, I figured if she didn't get it, than I was stumped. Clearing my throat roughly to at least get my words straight, the blond girl merely blinked at me while wandering her eyes from my feet to my face. It was what I considered a weird fascination much to my sense of observation.

I lightly tapped my chest, I pointed where my heart lay beating, "Alex. I am Alex."

I mentally prayed she'd at least understood what to call me, technically this got to the point where I felt like dancing like an idiot to get a reaction out of here. However dancing into a flailing mess of limbs didn't suit my tastes, I wasn't into music all that much for lords sake. I'd have continued in my ramblings yet again but, the girl nodded much to my shock.

Thank god for small miracles!

I smiled warmly, "It's nice to meet you. Again I'm Alex and who are you?" I gestured to her, tapping lightly on the glass to where her heart lay at and I avoided staring, "Who are you?" Idly the blond girl tried to reach out and touch my finger but the glass made that barrier all the more unyielding based on her expression of curiosity. Still I kept my eyes trained on her, I wanted to know who this girl was and why in the hell she was naked inside a glass box of all things! Seriously I'd be damned if this Lab complex wasn't doing things to her that I'd report to the...

Oh crap!

The government owned this place and who would I report this too?

If things weren't explained to me at all.

"A..lex..."

I heard my name from the girl, she appeared to have a strange time trying to piece together and to be fair, I'd have been surprised if she could speak to me. In the end I wasn't a bad kid, I tried to coax her to speak more and I smiled encouragingly at her, "Yup, that's my name! You can say it, try it again."

This time around I pointed to my heart directly, the girl narrowed her eyes before saying it with more enthusiasm, "Alex. You." Her hand pointed at me as I nodded smiling, "You got it! So who are you?"

The girl frowned trying to come up with a word.

And she remained like that for a few minutes.

"You don't have a name, do you?"

I asked that question quietly as the blond merely nodded at my words, her expression became more depressing, if I had word to say it. I tried to do what I could to at least try to make this seem more friendly, but the glass box and lack of clothing feel flat to crush my sense of humility. Scratching the side of my head I did what I could, which wasn't much better then me not trying to think of this lab as weird as hell.

"So, how long have been in there?" I looked up at the glass box to which the girl followed my gaze, her eyes swiftly though went back to my face and I kind of shrugged helplessly. "I'm going to guess your entire life so far, because I'd doubt anyone would remember. I'm sorry if I seem kind of strange but it's not everyday you find someone like you in a place, well like this?" I laughed somewhat uneasy if I'd offend her, I knew she was understanding me but the lack of her speaking got me worried. It wasn't everyday to met the cutest girl you'd ever see without clothes and she can't speak a word, so I knew something was definitely strange about this place for sure.

I exhaled slightly when the girl tilted her head yet again, I thought she was trying to figure me out or something. Deciding on whether I'd find out, I went over to the glass wall and decided to sit down next to the girl, who followed me immediately when I placed myself in front of her.

I really, really tried to not _look_ anywhere other than her face.

"Can you talk at all, like me? I mean, you said my name and that's fine, but..." I trailed off uncertainly while using my hands to make motions of uneasiness, small circular motions and what not. " Do you have any likes, or dislikes, or whatever that makes you, you?" I really had a hard time trying to convey what in the world I was even attempting, I'd assume the worst that this girl had no form of contact with another person and I felt ready to pull my hair out!

Due to my thoughts, I never noticed the girl crawl up to me and trying to intently study me for whatever reason why.

I looked up to see her literally chest first in front of me and I immediately yelped, I shut my eyes within seconds, "Please don't do that! I promised my mom that I'd not look at a naked girl, please sit down normally or something!"

I waved my free hand in frantic motion and I had to peak through my fingers to see the girl smiling animatedly at my reddening face. No way was she intentionally doing this to me! I refused to accept it as I glared clearly annoyed at her, "You _do_ understand me! Hell, I bet you're doing this just for a laugh aren't you?"

The girl smiled mysteriously enough and mimicked my shrug from earlier.

"Ha, ha."

Oh, that seriously made me stare at her in a deadpan, "Yeah, right. Ha, ha my foot, you're just doing this because no one's ever tried to talk you right? Miss No-Name, though I pretend to not understand anyone since I find it funny to make nice people be flustered!" I accused her somewhat amazed when she only smiled at me blinking in a manner akin to an owl, she hadn't allowed her attention to disrupt whatever she found me to the most interesting thing in the room. I just put a hand to my cheek and leaned onto it, staring at her rather irritated now.

"If you can understand me, then why don't you have a name? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm sure you having a good time in fooling me around like a puppet, but what's up with the lack of a name. I can't just call you Miss No-Name because it's rather rude and I'd not, make fun of a person like that."

The girl smiled regardless of my voice, I couldn't help but feel defeated since her expression seemed so genuine. It was like she was having the time of her life talking to me and every second I felt, it seemingly enhanced her eyes to the point where I'd get lost in them, it was creepy and strange all the same. Maybe this was how most people would feel like, but I didn't like the fact I honestly felt bad for trying to hate a person like this girl. Even though she did trick me after all in pretending to be somewhat stupid.

"Alex, you're funny."

When this girl spoke my back tingled immediately in a warning, I stared at her innocent expression as she covered her face to giggle. I dramatically puffed my face to make her seemingly start to laugh as I through out a response, "Oh gee wiz, thanks for telling something I never knew! Almighty wise Miss No-name locked in a glass tank, I am blessed for her kind words!"

Yet again more laughter, I cracked a smile to pretend to be offended and I think this girl knew I was only joking around. I didn't hate a person, I really didn't have the heart to say I hated some other kid and knew what to expect, I just shrugged helplessly to myself. I honestly had nothing to say, but accept the fact I was making a naked girl who didn't have a name laugh and smile in the very same goal set.

Making someone laugh certainly made my heart warm, "I take it you never laughed at something either, right? I mean the lack of clothes is a given, if I had to guess."

The question was rhetorical but the blond girl nodded at my words, I felt conflicted on whether I'd report this to someone and to do something for her. No person needed to be in a place like this and I'd be an evil villain for ignoring her in this glass box, I had to man up as my dad would say. Then again doing the right thing never was an easy thing, I had to at least try to make this girl happy for the sake of my own pity and interest as to why she was living here.

A look of interest held my eyes captivated as the girl pointed at me, "I like you, Alex."

My brain almost gave out when she said this simply, it sounded so natural to her that I had to blink several times to compute what the words meant and the meaning. When it clicked inside my brain I had to look down at the floor while idly scratching cheek to cover the blush forming, I never had a pretty girl like me and add the fact I'd hadn't talked to many didn't help my case.

I found the floor fascinating, "Well uh, thanks I guess. I mean you seem to be a nice person and all but, ugh, I mean I'm trying to be friendly is all. And uh..." I stopped dumbfounded as the girl laughed clearly at my response. I swore this blond just wanted to torment me for my expressions and her eyes were glowing with emotion, literally I watched her face light up when I threw my hands up in exasperation.

" _Least one of us is finding this to be fun, I'm mainly curious. Never hurts to make a person laugh, I guess being a nice person really is a good thing."_

This would have continued before I heard high heels clacking behind me, I turned around to witness the sight of my parent's co-worker, an assistant scientist or whatever walking across the doorway. I think her name was Doctor Baker or something, I didn't remember since I met the woman a few times at home when my parents invited her for dinner. I never really knew her well enough, but to be fair she was the person my parents sent me too when they were busy, or guide me around.

Shrugging to myself I casually called out when she walked by, "Hey Doc, sorry about wandering around but no one was waiting for me."

The woman froze mid step and dropped her clip board in apparent shock to see me sitting beside the blond girl, she was studying the older female though not as intently. Her eyes to me were striking as if trying to picture what was going on and I didn't see the problem. Heck all I was stare at her akin to how the girl behind me was staring, I pulled it off well enough to make the doctor go wide eyed.

"Oh my god!"

I raised an eyebrow at that and the girl behind me watched my reaction based on the angle she had. I wasn't aware she had done the same reaction I did towards the adult who seemingly became more flabbergasted at the way the occupant of the glass reacted. Perhaps I got impatient or what not, I figured to at least ask the doc about who this girl was in the first place.

"Hey Doctor Baker, do you know this girl's name? I mean she seems like a nice person and all, apart from the fact she strings people along to play stupid..." I gestured to the blond behind me who smiled almost cheerfully at my statement, I ignored it to explain to the woman who at this point was walking towards the two of us. I continued onwards without a care in the world, "Sorry if this seems kind of awkward, can you please answer me. I feel kind of bad not knowing what to call her, I mean the lack of clothes is already weirder than hell."

Laura Baker seemingly remained speechless at how the occupant within the glass cage stared at her expectantly, it was almost like she wanted to know too and that made her gut lurch painfully. Whatever words were directed at her or mused upon, the occupant knew all too well what the meanings were and that alone made her afraid in how intelligent the girl within could have been the whole time. More astonishing was the fact that the quarantine to prevent outside contact had failed, at their own actions no less but the occupant hadn't reacted violently to a suitable companion.

Interested the doctor found her voice, "Yes well Alex, the girl inside her home is not technically normal per say and I would be surprised if she knew her name. I can only tell you freely that her name is Sil, she's a special girl and the lack of clothing is merely coincidence since she had a test today." Using the word test instead of literally dissecting her appearance was merely a polite term, Sil was the first of her kind and she'd be damned to reveal that information to a teenager of all things. Already things were compromised as protocols were in place hadn't been breached before, Laura had to get her notes updated to see the interactions in more detail.

I smiled while laughing a bit sheepishly, "Sil? That's her name, well thanks Doc. Again I'm sorry if I'm not supposed to be here and all, but no one wanted to come get me."

At this point I looked at Sil, the blond girl who looked beyond happy to know what she was called. I figured to start over in a more friendly manner, I guess it was to make up for anything I had bad against her and to be fair, it was better to be a nice guy then be a jerk. So I cleared my throat and spoke up in an excited manner.

"It's nice to meet you, Sil. I'm Alex and I hope we can be friends, if you like?"

Sil looked me puzzled before realizing what I was doing and her face lit up like Christmas, her voice was drenched in so much emotion that it made the adult female in the room almost clench her chest. Sil spoke very clearly and very pronounced in her greeting, so much that it seemed practically a person who had been living in a society their entire life.

And that life wasn't exactly years upon years either.

"Yes, I'd like that very much, Alex. I want to have a friend, if Laura is fine with it."

Her eyes wandered up at the woman who dropped to her knees much to my confusion as I rushed over to help her. The woman looked paler than a ghost, I tried to help her but to my shock she waved me off trying to settle her raging heart rate. I felt really scared for the doctor, she wasn't a bad person and to collapse while being young, it voiced a real danger for me to react too and I had be careful in not trying to seem fearful.

In the end my fears were dealt with quick, "I'm fine Alex, thank you for helping me but it's not needed. I'm sure we can arrange some time for you to hang out with Sil, so just let me get my bearings first, alright?"

I grinned in excitement, it was official now! I had a person who could play hacky sack with me! At least that was my hope now as I looked over at Sil who was smiling just as much as I was, "Sweet! Thanks Doc, you're the best doctor in the whole world and I'd never doubt you otherwise. I'll even take back your cooking was worse than my mothers!"

I added that last part cheekily much to the woman's soft laughter, she ruffled my hair affectionately and I honestly felt my face burn up. Having two pretty girls talking to me in two days was enough, I'd feint if this rate kept up and I'd be damned to admit that much to anyone! I guess today was doing to be a good day after all, I mean what more could I ever ask for in making a friend?

I mean what was the worse that could happen?

That question would haunt me forever...

" _If I only knew, if I knew what I had known today, I'd have thought different and nothing would remain the same within me ever again."_

 **End Prologue**

 **Author's Note:** I bet many of you asking me for to continue this story didn't expect this, right?

The Unknown Strain is a story many have wanted to me complete and I can safely say that the old take will never happen. It's been too long in between myself then and now, I couldn't safely finish my old tales of stories without even remotely attempting to make a story properly then. To me there was so much clutter, broken views and what not that I decided to scrap it. It was like a diamond in the rough I guess, this is what people have told me over the course of my time on this site.

Also I'd mention to those who haven't watched/read Species Saga (There are four movies, three are sequels to each other and the fourth is a Stand Alone movie) I'd recommend watching it because it's one of those guilty pleasures of Sci-Fi movies that stuck with me, I can watch majority of the movies and not cringe too much. Preferably they were alright, not the worst movies and what not but they were enjoyable for the most part.

But there is hope that I'll at least try to make a new version. I at least owe it to a few to make a good small story, and if I can sort out things it'll be a much more sinister tale that is about to be told. If you thought I'd go about the same route as the last story, well you'd be wrong. I have a more ambitious attempt to make Alex enter the second movies plot with a much more _bleaker_ outlook than what I had planned. If I had to make something different, well it's all up in the air right now. I do contend with other things to write and I do work, so it'll eventually click.

Overall if I take my time, I think this story has a chance.


	2. Chapter I

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Chapter I**

"God damn it, that dream again."

I lifted my head off the pillows where I collapsed since last night, I had been out riding around and doing pretty much illegal things that people half my age would be terrified to do. My eyes were adjusting to the dim lighting of my room, I had several articles of clothing thrown around the room and never once did I have any bottles of beer hanging around. I mainly avoided alcohol like the plague, things never went well with that and my own sense of ability to encounter trouble. Trouble that loved to haunt me in my sleep, I near well wanted to take prescription over the counter drugs to put me into a dreamless state.

Yawning loudly I went over towards the bathroom that my room held in the corner, it was a modest yet very humbling hotel room I rented out for a week. It didn't cost me as much as I had considered, but in the end I enjoyed staying in places to experience the sights of whatever city I was living in. Scrubbing my teeth clean of last nights meals and what not, so I stretched my back to allow the joints to pop in subtle bliss. Moving easily through I flipped on the television sitting on the table top in the center of the room itself, my bed had an easy access to it and I sat down to slap some sense into myself.

I always did this when that dream, or anything pertaining to...

"Don't say her name Alex, you better not damned say it. It's been years so just move forward."

My eyes went to the screen of the television to see a childhood show of my mine make me smile, the Dukes of Hazard were on the air and boy, it always put me into a good mood. I watched contently while fishing my articles of clothes laying around the room, I'd always dream to meet the people playing those Duke boys, plus that car would make my mouth water essentially like a starving man wants food. Ideally if I had the means to do it, I'd have done so and it'd be the best thing in the world to cruise the highways in the General Lee, fuck I'd be the envy of some people out there.

But in the end I smiled to watch the show until it ended, which wasn't too long.

Getting my pants on easily, I slipped the belt around the jeans and relaxed for a moment to check the clock hanging above the bed. I was almost five in the afternoon, normal day in a normal life that made myself get by without a care in the world. Personally, I knew my life style would come back and bite me in the ass one day, but it'd be a day that I would welcome without a fucking care or howdy-do. I lived my life how I chose it and I'd be damned otherwise to not accept what was required of me to do what I considered to be a choice.

I turned seventeen in a few days, August was that time of the year that I tried to ignore.

Ignoring the pain that still stun freshly, an agony that rippled underneath my skin and infected my bones to have lingering phantoms ghoulishly torment me in my sleep. I snarled at no one for a few minutes repressing those memories, I honestly did my best to ignore the hells that loved to dodge me in my steps and I'd be an insane man to say I loved it. I loved that thrill, but the dangers of losing to it were enough for me to be a good person and move onwards.

Thing about my life I'd be always on the move, in taking small time jobs and moving town to town to earn a living. I had the money stored up in my bank account, truly my folks may have been _sub par_ coming to family priority, but financially I was set for life, if I played my cards right. I literally had several million dollars in my account, well technically it was nearly three point nine plus the interest. I never questioned the amount of cash used for my uses, I saved it enough and the monthly balance always went positive, never negative if it ever came close I'd work my ass off to say otherwise.

A wandering rich kid.

Never pictured myself to do that as I got my jacket on, it looked like a trench coat of sorts but in a good if it was possible. I had to wear long sleeved shirts out of necessity, the coloration was a dark gray so that it matched the pitch black coat around my shoulders and it was useful to wear during long trips cross country. People thought I wore the coat and the dark clothing to be an 'emo', but they would be wrong because it saved the world a favor to see my _scars_ per say.

Scars that were inflicted by a person who I thought...

" _Stop it. You're thinking about it again, c'mon the bike show is on tonight on Main Avenue. Just get your head in the game and go chat. It's best thing for yourself to do, Alex."_

My boots came on next, both steel toed and perfect for curb stomping some idiot who wanted to start shit with me in a bar. I never had a problem using them and when I did use them, boy the streets fights that were known for me were more than likely going to stain their pants, when they pissed themselves. In the end it was all for a good cause, I had nothing to live for knowing if they started it, I'd finish it and no repercussions were expected on my part. I just loved going to socially active places without having too worry about meager things in any other life, like trying to live one to the standards a person wanted to enjoy.

Glancing around I got my fingerless gloves set, I found them to be practical and never looked back on wearing them. Nimbly I flicked my Boston Red Sox cap slightly off to the right, I enjoyed baseball and loved the idea of rooting for my home's sports team. Part of being the son of government scientists was that you moved around and had to always carry a piece of home with you, no matter what part of the country I had to live in when I was much younger. So I did a quick check my pockets and I had, so I mentally checked off the items.

Wallet.

" _Of course."_

Keys.

" _Need them for my bike."_

And several condoms...

"Oops! Damn forgot those were the gag gifts for my cousin. Ha, I bet he's going to sucker punch me for that, or my uncle will anyways."

Surprisingly my cousin was the famous Patrick Ross, the first man to set foot on Mars and I'd be damned to say that I wasn't proud of him. He was my brother in all but blood, well technically by law since he was my cousin on my mom's side of the family. Now I'd assume having a famous person as a relative would be cool, but Patrick's dick of a father made me wish I'd kick him in the balls for good measure. I never got along with that prick of a man, Patrick did what he could to help me and guide me as a brother, before he went to NASA to be trained as an astronaut.

I got a pass to go see what they'd go through to train, a guest at times and it was there I met two more people I'd consider family to at least fill that gaping wound that was my heart. My aunt Anne and uncle Dennis, who respectively are my cousins peers who were also crew mates on the shuttle. The two who seemed to take a liking to me which I had no complaints to say in the first place. I mentally prepared myself to head out the door, I rolled both shoulders to have bones pop and I relaxed to think about my family returning to the Earth.

There was a reason why I stopped in this particular city, they were supposed to be coming here and I'd greet them.

Stepping out through the door, the setting sun greeted my eyes as I locked my room behind me. I traveled down the open balcony to reach a set of stairs and to walk over a good twenty meters to my motorcycle, said object parked innocently enough in a spot reserved for such vehicles. It was here I took a moment to enjoy my pride and joy, a result of my lifestyle of wandering the freeways of America, I loved the fact I could ride without being pestered by the cops. I had my license to operate and drive, so they'd shit a brick if I told them my age to begin with.

I sighed wistfully, " _Honda Magna, made in ninety five and personally the best six grand I've put down in a week ever. Still thanking the guy for customizing the body, red and black mixing together can really make any day to catch an eye."_

Admiring my ride for a few more minutes, I watched several cars go by on the main street and just enjoyed the breeze hitting my face. I may not have the best life, the best experiences dealing with people and for what's worth, I'd not trade that in for anything in the world. I loved my life yet at times it had the downsides and the rare shit storms, but it was one I was used to dealing with. I padded my pant pocket to reveal another item I almost forgot about, I pulled out a golden cross and placed it around my neck in a familiar fashion.

Never hurt to pray to god on the road for a safe day, it never hurt at all.

Years ago if I ever went to a church, I'd fall asleep mainly out of boredom or mainly my ignorance of what certain practices were established. I hadn't gotten religious to the point where I'd be touched by the finger of God, but I had a healthy faith to know things were moved by acts of a higher power if I had to put my consideration into words. So I had a golden cross which I bought at a local church which it was actually a legitimate blessed piece of metal, it cost me nothing but I asked the local priest at the time to donate some funds to his communion. Long story short, I had donated about two grand out of my pocket during my tenure in that small town, I remembered what state because of how I memorized the best lanes for my motorcycle to drive on.

I'd make a trip to Massachusetts again just to see my home team at Fenway Park, I really enjoyed seeing that park and it was very rare for me to enjoy it. I consistently moved along on what was the road of life, I got onto my bike to start the ignition. The engine roared to life as I revved the bike to its fullest output, the damned sound was so beautiful to hear and I smirked, " _Ride or Die, to fly and lie."_

I mentally said this because a grizzly old biker who I encountered down on the highways leading into the southern states had invited me to join his 'club' which was on a tour. Dozens of motorcycles were in an intense line to drive for miles to wherever they wanted, I got invited due to my youthful looks and the way my bike caught attention. Basically it was a good time that I'd certainly do again if anyone offered to me, I really wanted to flip off the cops for the sheer adrenaline rush and not because I hated them. Common misconception for me was not to hate on the guys behind the cuffs, I hated the government that started with a capital F as in Federal.

My eyes warily watched the road to see cars coming and going, I had to step on it to get to the bike show. I wanted to get something to eat there and possibly just relax with a few people, the kind that I knew for about a day or two since arriving in this city. My cousin wasn't due to arrive for an hour or two, I had say it was something like that. So I had time to kill and I'd be damned to not mingle with the bike clubs for a decent time. So exhaling deeply I pulled out of the curb to head down the street, I felt the wind whip past my ears as I kept my hat tightened for it'd fly off if given the chance.

Zipping past traffic, I had more then a few stares look at me and my ride, I probably assumed they thought I was illegally driving my parent's vehicle. Said parents were dead of course, I had been around to cope with the fact I had little relatives around to go too. Snorting over the wind, I pulled around a corner to nearly cut off a semi-truck whose horn hollered angrily at the my quick cut off. I ignored it mainly out of annoyance due to the fact I was thinking about my parents, they died due to a fact their own workplace wasn't set to 'safety parameters' during an unexpected event. Basically I was in a hospital when the memo was set to me, I almost went into a rage to holler at the messenger who was an Federal Agent of some kind.

For five minutes I wanted to hit him, to scream at him and just flat out flip out. The agent remarkably at the time didn't stop me, I had to guess he had been ordered to let a child vent his frustrations out or risk a lawsuit, I cried for hours on that note. Never once did that Federal agent give a comforting sense of an answer, he sat there or merely ignored what I was going through. I realized now he was just apathetic to having seen so much of that type of reaction, I could only imagine what in god's name he had seen to make him so lifeless.

In the end I just rolled my eyes, I had come to terms with it and now it irritated me beyond belief.

I eventually came to the avenue in where a main street connected with a small square within the city, the bike show was in full swing by the time I got my ride into the crowds. I watched as bikers of all ages, the older men to the younger more idiotically driven hoodlums and families of all ethnic groups were intermingling. I saw some familiar faces in the crowds due to my time being around the area, I had to actually avoid several kids who were a few years younger than myself, they wanted to check out my bike itself. I almost let loose a grin, I had time to kill and to be fair, I seriously loved my motorcycle with a passion that rivaled the sun itself. Pride and joy coexisted into a beautiful harmony of respect, a feeling I had grown accustomed too over the times I had mixed with the biker community.

I came to a local biker bar, I had been invited to show up with my bike and I had a reserved spot open near the middle of the displayed motorcycles. I easily backed myself up to the curb, I had about three or so feet of leg room to be at ease with the proximity. Turning off the ignition I kept my eyes in my pants pocket so I knew at all times that no one would try to pull a fast one. It never happened but I kept myself safer then necessary, I'd rather not be the one whose sorry for any situation in my future.

My eyes looked around to see people laughing, moving, conversing and the whole nine yards when it came down to a social event as big as this one.

I got off my bike to keep it steady with the metal used to let it slant over on its side, I rolled my shoulders to ward off the stress on them. Overall I'd say my bike was one of the nicer models around, it was recently produced and the dollar figure attached it was pretty good. Plus I'd get it modified over the next months or so, I really wanted another engine to fully push my bike to the peak of what was allowed on the highways. Not to mention in having a loud exhaust just added fuel to the literal fire, I almost snickered at my expectations to chew some mileage on the roads for sure now.

Placing both hands in my coat's pockets, I walked in through the door as some people were leaving the bar in a happy manner. I rolled my eyes in the meantime to just settle on getting inside to feel the lively atmosphere of people shooting pool, watching sports games on TV and the overall clanking of glasses of bear hitting my ears. Occasionally I'd see some pretty gorgeous biker girls get up to mingle amongst their own clusters, I couldn't ever imagine a few guys in the same outfits have the balls to talk to a few of them. I didn't feel pity, or even remorse for their own mental courage to talk to a woman since I tried too on a few occasions out of boredom.

It tended to work when I told them how old I actually was, but I'd have them guess it for the fun. I grinned slightly when I walked up to the bar, my height stood out a bit since I knew I'd be pushing six feet even soon and I had a few years left to grow. I blamed my dad who was a big guy in the vertical department but not in his stomach area. I may have loved my parents despite their own misgivings on my upbringing yet I'd never say I hated them in the least. Idly I brought my hand to my cross hanging around my neck when I sat down on a vacant stool in the bar, the tender who was an elder man noticed me immediately.

"What do you want kid? Water?" He asked me humorously as I retorted with a smirk, "Dr. Pepper please and it's good to see you Jack, so any fights pop up yet?"

The bartender shook his head with a negative much to my shrug, he gave me a large glass of the soft drink and he knew I was underage to be inside this place. However many of the patrons ignored me or just enjoyed to see 'young blood' enter the stage, I had been invited technically so no one really cared to say anything obstructing to my time here. I relaxed mainly before noticing a menu on the counter, it'd be one of the waitresses or waiters who'd see a new customer to order. I flipped through it for a to settle on a large cheeseburger pallet with enough french fries to sink a boat, I'd had a serious appetite to appease after all.

"Well, well, well if ain't the boy who hasn't become a man yet. I see you finally showed up." Someone said from behind me as I raised an eyebrow. I glanced over my shoulder to see a bombshell of a brunette biker woman who was grinning like a cat, I knew who this was and I immediately braced for a crap ton of teasing. This woman was apart of an all female biker gang called the Valkyries, they were some pretty tough bitches who could give most guys a run for their money to knock them out.

Both in a fight and a drinking contest, they were one of the local areas better ran clubs that had bee around for years.

"I woke up late, so don't judge me. I do have to go somewhere in a bit, so I figured to come down here and just chill. Plus I needed a bite to eat anyways." I replied with a straightforward expression, the woman snorted before settling next to me. I noticed her vest had left her mid-abdomen exposed for anyone willing to stare at her toned body, I inwardly sighed. The Valkyrie bike member smirked when my eyes were caught doing what many had down, "Easy there kiddo. I know you're balls are dropping but please don't get any ideas. Sixteen can get a woman like me thirty, seventeen is the magic number for this state."

By the magic number it was the age of 'consent' or whatever the flying hell law gave out, I wasn't looking forward to that little problem. Many of the bikers who were female wanted to at least be the first one for myself to remember in a bed, just for kicks they teased me and many guys were laughing their asses off on such occasions. Not many people really were offended if their wives, or girlfriends would tease me intentionally and to be honest, I ever asked for anyone to do such a thing with me at all.

"So what's going on Cass?" I ignored her last sentence or two, I called her Cass because her full name was Cassandra. She liked her nickname short and to the point, I knew many people were pretty swell with that plus other such things.

The biker merely shrugged, "Nothing out of the ordinary. A few clubs are going to hit up a casino for some bets, I have to be accompanying our president there to meet with the Angels and Mongols. Part of the job as a Sergeant in Arms, I have to keep our girls in line." She ordered a beer from Jake who nodded familiar with the woman's taste, I had to raise an eyebrow at her explanation. A local casino and a rival biker clubs was just _asking_ for trouble, I knew had to be on the neutral side of a shootout whenever it came down to pride or hate.

"When you going to allow guys in your club? I know your vice-president asked me about it several days ago, I had to keep my mouth shut, or else your president would've kicked my ass." I shuddered as I remembered a pair of blue eyes were less then pleased to see a guy enter an all-female biker gang. Contrary to the belief, the Valkyries were pretty brutal when it came down to defending their own and had a few run-ins with the major clubs to earn their place on the food-chain. Many clubs gave them a respectable distance or they'd risk their testicles being cut off, it wasn't a joke on my part, I had heard the stories occasionally from bikers in general.

Cass chuckled as she raised her glass of beer at me, "I'd make an exception for you honestly, we've known you for about a month. We met down in Florida if I recall, you showed up as a guest a Hell's Angel member and you almost pissed off our President. You almost crushed her foot when you drove by." Oh that memory hit me hard, I almost wanted to exhale out of sheer desperation. I knew that would never be forgiven due to my bad coincidence on that particular adventure in Tampa.

I groaned, "In my defense it was a big fucking rally. I barely had any space following that guy and I almost wound up being beat down by _your_ girls. I think the Mongols and Angels were all grinning at me since I was _the_ kid who pissed off _the_ bitch of bitches. Their words, not mine." Cass laughed loudly gaining the attention of the other Valkyrie members who noticed their top enforcer drinking causally with me. I had to mentally pray to god that I'd not deal with anymore of those woman, they were trouble with a capital fucking T and god knew what else.

"Good times, good times. Don't worry, Ash won't kill ya except for your pride." Her president's name was Ashley, but they called her Ash for short. It worked and I never questioned it, so I retorted a bit relieved, "Thanks for the words of the wise. I'll pass until you guys get a new person in that role, I have enough nightmares about women as it is." I said this truthfully as the biker woman shrugged in an uncaring fashion. Her eyes drifted to meet my own as if she were interested about something I had said, or rather what I had been through in my brief span of life.

It was a cliche thing to know what happened to a young kid like myself, being alone and seemingly having no maternal parents to look after me. The Valkyries were a club as a whole were interested in me as a personal rumor mill, it was apart of the reasons they kind of looked at me as a potential recruit due to my age alone. They'd be more willing to accept a teenage boy like myself over a man due to the stigma of being full grown, I assumed they'd think I'd go after them like pieces of meat. Personally I knew it was a lost cause, I just ignored whatever urges my body held for the opposite sex which wasn't easy at times.

"Well apart from me, I do think our VP is adamant on having a kid like you join up in a club. You got the looks, the bike and the personality of a swell member. The Angels, Mongols and the others are interested in a non-affiliated rider like yourself going cross country, Alex." I took a moment to study Cass's features for yet another time. Her eyes were hazel that bordered onto a greenish coloration, her hair went down to her shoulders and that bandana held it in place. With a few leather like jacket and pants she certainly had the part down of a woman who could be considered a beauty. I never asked her age mainly out of how awkward it'd be to ask female that, so I kept it as a personal mystery.

"I don't plan on being hitched to anything, I like the idea of riding around and seeing new places. Besides I'd probably get bored, so it's fine with me to have a bit of fun." I replied somewhat honestly much to the woman's laughter, "Oh I'm sure a few people would love to have _fun_ with a boy like you Alex, I ain't being a cradle robber to state the obvious. So anyhow, I'll see ya around and maybe I'll let it slip you're turning that magic number soon." My eyes went wide as she knew when my birthday was coming around!

Oh crap I was so screwed it'd be a hassle and two hells to ignore now!

Cass left without me even protesting that as I groaned loudly, my face hit the bar without resistance due to gravity. " _Oh great, I really didn't want to wake up to know I was on a hit list of being sexually handled by women. I may be the first guy in history to say, this fucking sucks! Ugh, Alex just try to think of something happier for the love of god, be happier, somehow."_ It seemed my plight which privately would've made any man happy, it had gotten attention in the form of the bartender who merely gave me my ordered soft drink. He had a shit eating grin that threatened to make me wish I had a shotgun to blow straight to fucking Mars, perhaps then my cousin could bring a souvenir in the form of Jake's teeth at interstellar travel.

"Don't even say a word." My muffled voice carried over the stream of background voices, the bartender just laughed good naturally to wave the warning off. He wouldn't need to say it verbally, but the intention was there after all, "You got it boss."

Lifting head up to see a Television off to the side, I could hear the broadcast about the Mars mission go off about something about problems within the shuttle's communication. Sipping my drink contently I watched as the news broadcaster announced over the air, " _I apologize to our viewers, it seems like we misheard from NASA's command center about the jump back to Earth. Please stand by until we remake the connection to the crew on the Mar's Mission."_

"They spend billions on an experimental drive to reach Mars, yet they can't fix a simple wireless connection. Federal government genius's at their finest." I muttered sarcastically much to a few people agreeing with me who sat nearby. I had a weird feeling that my surrogate family was in for a rough time yet for another reason I felt anxious. I didn't understand why I was feeling scared for my cousin, I mean I knew he was a on high-risk awesome epic reward mission for sure, but I still was worried for my family. I sighed when I looked over to the other biker groups who were watching the broadcaster apart from their local teams playing, I even witnessed the Valkyries all check out the Mars Mission being broadcast on the air waves.

For next five minutes I relaxed in my seat awaiting confirmation of the shuttle heading back to Earth, or so I thought.

"Hey does anyone know the owner of the nice Honda outside? We got a news crew airing our bikes and they want to know who owns it." I internally winced when I heard someone yell out from the bar's door, I instantly saw dozens of eyes wander to my laid back form. I prayed for a miracle to not make me go outside and a face a news crew for the local network, god I hated cameras with a passion when it came to attention.

"Kid you're looking for is wearing the Red-Sox cap, he's just shy." I heard the Valkyrie president of the bike group call out gleefully.

" _You fucking bitch."_

The guy who asked was probably one of the crewmen to the news crew itself, I had to bit the side of my cheek to keep my passive expression around. Although I reluctantly got up, I placed both hands in my pockets yet I flipped off the president who ratted me out. I got a reaction of more then a few whistles of jeering and hoots that hinted at a drama being created, I couldn't give a single fuck about the bullshit gossip. My eyes were less then pleased as I escorted the person who called out for my bike, I stepped outside to see a reporter talking to a camera.

I barely caught the words, "Our local city-wide motorcycle rally is full swing for the weekend. I'd like to point some very well polished machines made to ride on the roads, this Honda model for example recently just came out and I'd like to say it's one of the best ones we've seen yet. Ah, it seems like the owner of this fine vehicle has been found, young man what do you think about the rally today?"

Both of my hands were in my pockets at this point as I had the microphone shoved in my face, I had to wince at the full attention of a camera. However I couldn't help but wonder if my braver side decided to rear up it's rare face. In the end I decided it wouldn't kill me to say a few good things, it wasn't like I was hiding from anything except a person nightmare or two. Plus I'd probably get back at the Valkyries somehow later onwards, they started shit and I was not in the mood to take it lying down.

Clearing my throat I replied with a casual shrug, "It's a good place to meet friends and hang out to watch your own sports team kick some ass and take names. I just pulled into the city to get invited to the one of the premier biker clubs, the Valkyries, who are looking for all able bodied _men_ and whoever they want to join up, I recommend talking to their President directly." I snickered mentally at the expression the said woman was going to have, but hey, she started this fight and I was ending it on my terms. The Bitch of bitches wanted to play rough, I'd just go beyond the line and kick ass to take the names without question.

The reporter must have laughed awkwardly at my crude words, I didn't care otherwise I'd have been inside relaxing but he asked me, "So do you have a name young man? I'm sure our viewers would like to see your motorcycle in action, do you care to rev it up for us by chance?"

I shrugged before setting down the said attraction at the show, I got my keys out and started the ignition. Nimbly I just revved the throttle to where the explosion of noise made many people cheer out at how smooth it sounded. For added measure I did a small burn out for about twenty seconds to get the crowd clapping in a roaring approval, I certainly enjoyed this part of getting back at the people who forced me out here.

"By the way, I'm Alex and I got something to say to those folks out there watching." I called out over the noise as the reporter smiled before holding the microphone close to me. I just leaned back as I tuned down my own little show to the world, "Ride or Die, to fly and lie. That's a saying I have as a biker, I'd say to anyone would love to come down here and have a good time, I'd say live a life free. So nice talking to you."

With that I smiled at the camera before tipping my cap.

What was the worst that could happen to me for showing my face? I asked myself that and I shrugged, I just went with the flow and figured to wait for my cousin to show his face back on Earth. It was going to be a nice time in seeing him again, I wanted to see my family again and I'd be damned to hell to miss out on that opportunity.

I knew inwardly it couldn't hurt to live free.

* * *

In a secured facility that was beyond the public's eyes, a single entity that wasn't human sat in her chair while watching television. A blond beauty whose very presence would have made any man go limp in the knees, a pair of eyes so enticing and perfect it scream a promising time for any who fell under their allure. This entity wasn't a human, nor was it anything of origins on the planet Earth and she sat there completely bored due to a prison made of glass designed to withstand her strength. The entity had a name that was given due to her being the only one of her kind, the only female and only singular being to exist as what she was.

Her name was Eve.

Eve could scarcely remember much to go over in her time alive, the woman which wasn't really human couldn't fathom a life beyond the glass prison that dictated her situation to be amongst the living. Her body craved the outside, that desire to move around freely and explore the world as a free being to ultimately find out what she really was as her blood demanded. To search, to find and to track down what she needed instinctively which certainly was contained by her rational consciousness. Something gnawed at her mind like a nagging pain, a forgotten memory of sorts and it puzzled her to understand what she was feeling.

Eve knew of her predecessor, Sil.

Sil was an anomaly such as herself, technically she could be her mother but nonetheless through her own means she discovered herself as a clone. A clone or maybe a byproduct of those who were keeping her here entrapped inside this glass prison. It was consistently haunting to have dream that were her own yet not so, it hurt her to know these feelings weren't hers yet they felt so natural to her that it screamed within her mind to discover why.

Why did these dreams, why did these reoccurring feelings of pain and this lonesome ache inside her heart? It wasn't right, she wasn't human yet she felt a very humane emotion called remorse for no reason other than the fact a forgotten phantom feeling itched at her sides. She sat there with a baseball in hand clenching her fist around to ward off her distress, the television provided a glimpse of her dreams to see the outside world. A world so large and so vast to her curiosity to know more about it, to search within it to find what she was missing inside her.

She wasn't human but that thirst to become was what was tempting.

Absently her hand switched the remote to change the channel to see the Dukes of Hazzard start playing, Eve felt this odd familiarization to watch it. So she did so without complaint or without revealing her facial expressions to the various watchers on the outside, her near crystal like iris's took in all the details of the comedy being played out. It made her smile briefly, it made her feel like she was reliving something so close yet so distance to her needs to laugh. Leaning back in her chair while clenching the baseball, Eve started to close her eyes in a content state of relaxation that sent a shock wave of her nostalgic bemusement.

" _I always wanted to drive the General-Lee. What do you think?"_

A voice said to her warmly much to her shock, both eyes went open in a flash to hear the echoing traces of laughter filter. Her eyes took in the show as the characters were laughing and blankly her gaze traveled to a limb that was clenching itself instinctively. Eve blinked cautiously to gain control on her hand when she remembered that voice, just what the hell was wrong with her now? Why did she _need_ to feel so remorseful, so utterly sorrowing for no reason and why did she wish to cry now? Just why in the abyss of all things in hell itself did she want to express feelings for nothing other than a program that was in a world beyond her reach!

So the entity that wasn't human in nature merely sighed to herself, the days were growing longer and more restless for her to deal with now. Eve wanted answers, the kind that would sate her thirst for it and nothing but humane emotions akin to commitment would be her fuel. So she sat there watching the shows that triggered instinctual moments of nostalgia, or a long suppressed emotion that battled to make her wish to curl sadly in her bed.

She could admit a few times where she had sat up crying, in being alone and not understanding what caused at random times during her sleep intervals. Both eyes turned to the television as her source of comfort to see the world beyond the walls, ironically it was a world she was familiar with as the people here made her withstand attacks that consumed her body amongst the flesh. It was always painful, to feel her own body consume itself and adapt to the measures being used on her. She knew she was just a means to an end, it came with the grounds of being something not human and it plagued her to not know why she had to endure this torment at times.

But it was a life she knew all too well.

"Why."

That one word was uttered so many times since her conception, it was a word that would be spoke many times in the future and no answer was in sight. It hurt her to know what was happening to her was because of something else had done, Sil her predecessor had done something and she was to reap the rewards for that nightmare. Eve eventually had to bite her cheek hard to ignore getting angry for something that was rare to set her off, she had to remain in control and to not show weakness to anything due to her life inside these walls.

In the end, the entity known as Eve merely sighed deeply.

Her hand absently changed the channel again to see this time a reporter at some event in the background. Many people were laughing, enjoying themselves and she felt envious to get out to see the world through her own eyes. She wanted to experience this and to see what made them so happy, a place that wasn't these walls to call a home. Eve watched stoically to see the reporter who was a man talk about something called 'motorcycles' which didn't seem half bad, yet her preference was to drive like those Duke Boys in their own car. She liked watching driving and it never hurt to be good at something like that, Eve hid a small smile to herself.

"Our local city-wide motorcycle rally is full swing for the weekend. I'd like to point some very well polished machines made to ride on the roads, this Honda model for example recently just came out and I'd like to say it's one of the best ones we've seen yet. Ah, it seems like the owner of this fine vehicle has been found, young man what do you think about the rally today?"

Eve watched with eyes staring intently at the screen to see a young boy, a very handsome one if she were honest appear next to the reporter. The young male had a look of a playful trickster who certainly got her attention, the eyes were what made her hiss in frustration when her mind recoiled at the sight of those green orbs. They were a bright emerald coloration, she could have stared at his face for a long time until she heard him speak up.

It almost made her heart race beyond into a normal human state of excitement.

"It's a good place to meet friends and hang out to watch your own sports team kick some ass and take names. I just pulled into the city to get invited to the one of the premier biker clubs, the Valkyries, who are looking for all able bodied _men_ and whoever they want to join up, I recommend talking to their President directly."

Eve felt herself inhale deeply as the sound of this boy washed over her senses. It triggered a feeling of her heart clenching to the point where she gasped out loud, her hand went over her chest to feel the organ beating a mile a minute and it hurt so badly Eve wanted to tear up. Just what in the hell was happening to her to reveal in such a sad state, she wanted to know why and she wanted to know why her heart was hurting so badly!

Her eyes wandered over to see him smile kindly to the screen, Eve found herself clenching her head now as a memory flashed before her eyes.

" _...you're funny."_

Those words made the woman inhale deeply when pains of a long suppressed response kicked in! Her eyes were dilating to know a word came before those two, she knew that word eluded her and it was ungodly agonizing to not know what it was! She knew it for sure, but just what was holding her back as Eve twitched violently as if aggressively forcing herself to remain where she was at. That urge to find this young boy was so strong, so strong it nearly made her want to crash into the prison glass to find out why her body was instinctively _demanding_ her to move to his voice.

She listened more to the young boy who was grinning at her, at the screen for sure but it didn't matter to her beating heart.

"By the way, I'm Alex and I got something to say to those folks out there watching. Ride or Die, to fly and lie. That's a saying I have as a biker, I'd say to anyone who would love to come down here and have a good time, I'd say live a life free. So nice talking to you."

Eve's eyes widened when she heard that name Alex, that name sent her body into a shock that bordered onto a craving remorse of a level that it made her gasp. Her hands clenched and undid themselves to let the baseball drop to the ground with an audible thud, she cupped her face as tears were leaking past her eyes without restraint now. It hurt, it hurt so bad and yet she felt so relieved to know an answer that plagued her for so many nights, it hurt to know an answer that she wanted to find out more.

She wanted to find this young boy, this youngster called Alex.

" _Alex, you're funny."_

That word which was missed came back in another voice that echoed in her mind.

" _I like you, Alex."_

Eve glanced up between her fingers, her lone eye was visible on the screen as it turned into a blackened background for a commercial. However if anyone were to notice a change in her features, a reptilian iris formed as a possessive urge to claim the fascination of her thoughts came to the forefront. A long suppressed urge to hunt, to claim and to...

To find out more.

The entity sighed to herself before calming down.

It was a going to an interesting night to dream and sleep for once.

 **End Chapter I  
**

 **Author's Note:** People have asked me via the reviews about things involving to the this story, I don't tend to answer reviews when you're a guest due to the fact I simply can't. The site doesn't allow it, so I'd recommend just making an account and having it easier to PM questions. Usually I do respond a lot pending on what's been going down lately, yet I'm always available if someone wants to expand into the Species Category on this site, it'd be an interesting thing to have it become more well known.

I do want to keep this story on the main character/Eve at times, but I might branch off like I did in the original version. Most likely I'll avoid it, I am dedicating more efforts to make 'Alex' seem a more believable person and rateable to everyone who reads this. Plus adding character to Eve is also a challenging prospect since the movies are simply straightforward when it comes to character motivations. Also I will mention to anyone who does want to try to write a Species Story, send me a PM if you have concerns and what not since I don't mind it.

But that's the end of this note, so leave a review and tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter II

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Chapter II**

I pulled up to the side-street across from the massive line of photographers, journalist and all the damned news media in the country. I couldn't ever say I saw such a mad house worth of people trying to get shots of my cousin whose shuttle had landed some time ago. I knew where the party was taking place due to the fact I had been invited since day one when the team from Mars came back to Earth, I hadn't had the slightest clue when it came down to looking suave as most people. So I went with the casual outlook to stand out, I guess in my own way, I was dressed up as any other kid my age despite having my motorcycle parked across the street.

Leaning against my parked bike I sat there overlooking the scene, I really wanted to go back to my motel room and sleep. My arm had been hurting lately, a detail that bugged me since I barely could get any sleep last night and it certainly wasn't a good sign. If I had to go back on morphine again I'd consider myself a drug-addict in a serious need for a dose. Even now my arm was burning to the point where I almost wanted to dip into a ice, but I ignored it to await my family who would be arriving soon enough. It was just another day for me to get by on, I had my fun yesterday with the news crew and I could feel the anger at my words from a certain bike club.

What did it matter if they didn't like what I said, I could have said the same thing about the major clubs but I withheld it due to a personal grievance. So I shrugged manly out of a self-loathing that wasn't too potent for my mind to get under control, it felt good to at least promote that the city's rally wasn't just the stereotype for a battleground. It was a good time and I'd plan on going back tomorrow until the weekend was up for good measure, I wanted to eat some small time events to show off my ride to earn some cash prizes if an opportunity came about.

I adjusted my trench coat while having the long sleeve shirt covering both of arms, the fingerless gloves helped to ward off the cooling air and I almost yawned. Least my new pair of jeans did the trick with a belt to keep me lose, I had to even make sure my boots were somewhat cleaned for tonight. I'd never say I hated to be looking good, it's just this particular event was a personal one for me and I had to at least show I was concerned for an image. I adjusted my cap to ward off the flashing camera strobes that were going off as various limousines were pulling into the red carpet area.

One after another pulled in to reveal high profiled politicians, actors and other such supporters of the Mar's mission. However I had the misfortune of seeing a person I almost wanted to punch in the face, I saw my cousin's father, the prick senator himself. " _Oh great. I thought I'd be happy to never see that man again, son of a bitch, I just know this night is going to be bad now."_ I lamented to myself in a manner akin to resignation. Exhaling loudly I went about to scan the various high profile guests entering the party inside, the Mars mission shuttle had come down earlier in the day. So I had to guess that a few times my family was being briefed on what was going down, I knew something along the lines of them getting blood work and doing what they needed to keep protocols in place.

Eventually I brought my eyes to see the cameras flashing at the senator who waved almost naturally at the cheering crowds, " _Politicians are all the same. Smile, be kind and just act like a good person to get a few more votes for their image. Thank god I vote in two years, I'd certainly give that asshole_ _ **nothing**_ _less of a vote of confidence."_

However I got off track as the focus of the decade came into view, I watched to see a white limousine pull up as the crowds went wild. I could see my family start to take themselves out of the car with a practiced ease, I knew internally they were so happy to be back on Earth after a long time in space. It was certainly amazing to know I'd be proud to be apart of them as a relative who could hear the stories they'd share up in their travels together in space. I'd be an idiot to not say I wanted to hear what it was like to be up there, so far away from this world that was what we humans knew as home and I only wanted to ask myself if there was more of something else out there?

My uncle Dennis came out first with his wife, I knew the two were always hitched together in a way that made me smile. It was followed by the aunt Anne, she was married with her husband who seemed a bit out of place on the red carpet but I knew the man was a decent guy all around. I had been over my aunt's house months before the mission to Mars, I found them to be a happy couple much to my immediate assumptions. Overall they were all happy together, I personally found their lives to be well situated for their futures.

Yet the crowd went wild for the icon of the world himself, my cousin Patrick Ross.

He stepped out in his uniform like the others of his crew, he had his fiancee Melissa with him and I knew for fact they were old high school sweet hearts before he never went to NASA for training. The woman and I had a somewhat shaky relationship as we got along, but it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the means. I could respect her decision to think I was a troublesome influence, I mean I played the part pretty well and I always couldn't fault her for that time I almost walked in on her in the shower. It was about a year or two ago, my cousin didn't mention at the time that his fiancee was staying at his house for the weekend.

Long story short, I almost got punched in the face even though my cousin was laughing a lot that entire night. Patrick had a sense of humor when he knew it was certainly created by chance, I almost lost a lot of respect for my surrogate older brother for that bull crap. In the end the two were in love, they were happy and I could only offer my good wishes onto them regardless of the past. I felt somewhat concerned that the woman was going to be related to me by marriage, but I guess it was just natural for me to assume I was going to see her at Christmas parties more often now.

Racing a hand on the side of my head I just stood there waiting for my family to notice me, I honestly felt nervous in coming out into yet another type of spotlight atmosphere. I wasn't famous, I was nobody to the world and I had nothing but a few million to my name to really make me to do what I wanted. Apart of me knew it sucked yet for all that motion of being in the shadows of my surrogate family, I really knew to myself I'd never make it in these high profile moments. I liked to live my life how I chose it and nothing on Earth could make me say otherwise.

The moment of truth came when I saw my cousin turn around to glance around, I caught his attention with a wave. I felt my blood rush nervously as several months in space had stalled his memory, Patrick immediately recognized me when the recognition hit. Patrick over to his crew mates who looked shocked to hear what was being said, they all looked over at my semi-anxious smile before they all waved me forward through the crowds.

I placed my motorcycle's keys in my pocket as I avoided several cars, Patrick had several of the security guards make way to make his towards me. The others followed suite briefly as the cameras were flashing fanatically at a family reunion, the general public knew Patrick had relatives beside his father and it'd be a first for some to see how young I was really. So biting my cheek I walked through the crowd where I actually hugged my elder brother in quite some time, I genuinely missed him and my family so much despite traveling around the country when I was doing it.

"I missed you Patrick, it's good to see you in one piece brother." I said to him as we embraced, I got a laugh for affection as he ruffed my hair in response. His eyes were of a man who had achieved something no other had done, "It was a long flight, glad to be back on Earth. You been taking care of yourself, Alex?" He asked me with an expression a sibling could pull off as I shrugged absently. I really didn't want to go into details with so many damned reporters, plus the cameras and god knew what else was in that mob of insanity on the sides.

"Holy Christ, it's the squirt! Man you grew up!" My uncle said laughing loudly as he pulled me into a headlock, I yelped when his knuckles rapped into my skull. Dennis Gamble wasn't a family man yet I knew he'd be a good dad to whenever his kid was on the way. He liked to mess around with me consistently and I missed this type of feeling inside my chest, "Let go of me uncle Dennis! If you want action, then go do it with the wife, but not me!" I whined out loud as a fist slammed into my ribs playfully, the man knew that I knew of the sexual 'quarantine' which had implemented on them. It was the first thing he bitched about when he told me about the requirements going to into and back from space flight.

I desperately called out to my aunt, "Aunt Anne! Save me from this monster! Please!" The woman snorted before swatting her crew mate over his head as he yelped from the shock of the hit. Patrick was laughing quietly off to the side as Anne gave her piece to her friends, "Dennis lay off him. I'm not dealing with a squabble when we just go back, but why don't _you_ Mister Ross step in to stop this?" The woman asked pointedly at the captain of the shuttle who shrugged eerily familiar to my own actions. I had picked that up from up over the years growing up, I couldn't help but grin cheekily in response.

"Because he likes chaos and likes to see me suffer, Aunty." My brother smirked in response while standing over next to his fiancee who had a small effort to conceal her laughter. Again she and I weren't on the best terms but now was the time for celebration. The small reunion of a surrogate family was something even she dared not to intrude upon, so it was a heart warming scene to have the media pick up on it immediately.

"Man, I thought you were my protege Alex, but I see you can't take a joke." Dennis said to me smirking as I shrugged helplessly while fixing my hair. It'd be impossible now so I retorted back, "I see you can't get any action for a bit. I'm flattered but I don't swing that you Uncle, you know because of that time we went to strip club for my sixteenth birthday." The moment I said those words, I had a priceless reaction out of everyone standing within five feet of me. My cousin, Aunt and their respective partners were all looking at Dennis akin to thunder struck.

"Oh really? That explains why Alex was happy on his birthday."

"Dennis, you better hope he's joking! He's a minor!"

Both my Aunt and brother replied in their own fashions, I had the man laugh a bit awkwardly at my grinning expression. Oh I liked to see him squirm when he thought he could screw me over, I loved to get back at my Uncle since we made it out to be a game of sorts. A game that was who could get the others more pissed off, the last time I lost I had to spot my uncle a large case of beer and had to drink with him for a good laugh.

I cheekily added in at the last second, "Oops! It was a secret I wasn't supposed too say."

Eventually we were all moving inside the building now, I had the honor of actually hearing about what it was like in space everyday. I couldn't help but feel awed at what they went through, I knew most of it could have been boring but to see the vast depths of space was simply amazing. I missed these people and I couldn't say otherwise, I really wanted to spend time with them if it was allowed. I knew that this was probably one of the better things to enjoy, we managed to be sat down at one the central tables in the direct epicenter of the event being hosted.

I manged to sit next to my uncle, my aunt was a bit off to the side and my cousin was directly across from me. I grinned when the waiters were pouring us all wine glasses, I mentally cheered at being able to drink underage and not a damned person would have cared. " _I know it's wrong, but fuck it! If I can get wine and call it a nice day, I'm going to enjoy myself totally! Thank you God!"_ I leaned back to enjoy myself even though my arm was burning again, I almost wanted to go find an ice cold bucket and stick my entire limb inside. It was getting ridiculous to ignore, it just got worse and worse as the minutes were ticking by without a damned doubt. It took me a bit to bite the side of cheek inside my mouth to ignore it, I swore I'd be back on morphine if I could find a doctor to prescribe it too me via over the counter.

"So mister Sanders, have you been keeping yourself out of trouble?" My aunt asked while sipping her drink next to her husband, the man was grinning as if he knew what his wife would say. I gave it some thought before shrugging helplessly, "No more then I'd get into normally. I've been traveling across the country and I managed to get here so when you guys landed, so it has been a nice experience seeing apart of the world." I said this honestly much to my aunt's raised eyebrows, "You should be in school young man, if you were mine I'd ship your ass into a private school so you can earn a living."

It wasn't a bad subject for me to consider, going to be college and all sounded good. But why did I have to since I could live off what I had now, "But Aunty aren't I your favorite nephew? I'm hurting inside my heart." I playfully said clutching the organ's position on my chest, I got a kick to the shin for my own troubles which I winced. The woman had a mean kick to her step if she wanted too, I had both Dennis and Patrick chuckle at their various expenses.

"Hey being with NASA isn't too bad squirt, I bet we could get you in as a trainee." Dennis offered while enjoying the wine being poured into his glass, I almost really said yes to that offer. However I knew I'd probably screw myself over yet I still replied somewhat positive, "If you and Patrick can send it past the old man running the show, sure. I'd give it a shot but I doubt I'd be as good as any of you guys. Honestly."

Patrick offered his sympathy, "It's hard work Alex, I'm not lying but I'd say you have the mindset for it. I'm sure my dad can work something out with the government, I mean crazier things have been before right?" I scratched the back of my head in favor ignoring my burning arm, I really wanted an ice cold shower now. But I did agree with my brother, if there was one thing that that prick of a father he had enjoyed was getting publicity. Having a random biker relative of the great Patrick Ross command a shuttle would be tale of a political intent of rags to riches.

"I'd give it a shot, I mean riding a motorcycle is one thing but piloting a shuttle is a bit different." I finally said resigned as my family all smiled for my so called plight. They were just looking out for me and I knew why, they did care for me on some level or rather they did for sure. I just relaxed in my chair to sip my own wine glass, I certainly liked the flavor as a solid grape. However my casual actions got my a dirty look from my aunt who was very _strict_ on age restrictions, I had to peg it due to her maternal instincts for a child, so she gave me one of worst I had seen in memory. It almost made me wish I had put the glass down, but I just shrugged cheekily to annoy her.

Another kick to my opposite shin made me hiss.

Dennis held in his laughter at the unseen physical contact, Patrick just smiled in his own way before glancing around in a curious manner. I found that expression a bit odd on him, it was like he was unintentionally searching for something and it only got a bit weird when he shifted around nervously. Considering he hadn't seen anyone other then his crew for six months in space, I'd assume that he went around crazy once his mind left the atmosphere of the planet yet jokes aside, I felt a bit weird with myself. I got tense like as if I were staring at someone who I should have been planing a fight against and man it felt awkward to all hell.

"You alright bro?" My question made him glance at me before he replied simply, "Just looking around Alex, I'm just a bit happy to be back. Don't worry about it." For once he deflected the question that I'd normally peg him to be honest with, I doubted even Anne and Dennis could pick up on the subtle signs of my cousin being a bit anxious. The only time I had seen him like this was a few years ago, before he met his fiancee in his senior year of schooling or whatever the hell it was at. Sipping my glass I let my eyes wander around the room to see various high level profile guests point at me specifically, I could imagine their thoughts of a punk like kid sitting at the new heroes of humanity's table, I ignored that to sit comfortably in my seat.

"I'll be right back, I need to go get some air." My cousin said this as he excused himself from the table.

I snorted as I caught an eager gleam in his eye, oh I knew that look. Granted it took me a moment to realize that was the call of an appointment that had been brought to his attention. I kept my mouth shut to not tip off my cousin's fiancee, I knew he wasn't that type of guy but to be fair, I'd have done the same thing without said person around. However I couldn't resist adding in a cheeky comment to make him roll his eyes at me, I knew my cousin knew that I knew what he was up too.

"Hey Pat, take your time. No rush, alright?" I had a grin in place when he shrugged akin to my own actions from earlier, we definitely had picked up on being subtle around others. Both my aunt and uncle were staring at me suspicious of my facial expression, yet I didn't think they'd press the issue when I relaxed in my chair. Soon enough my cousin was on his way to show a private party that involved the opposite sex, I just hoped that he'd not do this when he got married. God knows I'd never hear the end of it from that prick of a senator, or the others apart of his crew.

Lying back in my chair, I felt my eyes close for a moment when I twirled the wine around in the glass. I felt the hum of the fans above and soon enough my body slowly eased away. I couldn't help it as I remembered something that echoed in my mind.

" _Have you ever liked someone, Alex?"_

I jumped immediately when I heard a voice I had desperately tried to forget for years, it hit me as I inhaled deeply. It was just in time to see Senator Ross appear on the podium to start his speech, my heart raced beyond any known limits to the point where I glanced around. No one appeared to see the jolt I had, I barely felt content when my stomach churned within for whatever reasons why. A head ache erupted inside my skull, I had to rub my temples while breathing in heavily to ward it off yet it persisted.

A droplet of sweat went down my chin to hit the white table cloth, I absently looked down to see it stain the table for a moment. During the applause my uncle looked over to me as he noticed my paling skin tone, so a bit concerned he looked at me seriously, "You alright squirt?"

I grinned weakly, "I think wine and I don't go together."

My excuse seemed to have work as I groaned silently, what a pain in the ass this was becoming ever since I stepped inside this place. My arm was throbbing to the point where it'd be a miniature inferno, I had a migraine forming and I had the ghosts of the pasts hounding my memories like a plague. Reluctantly I focused on the Senator's speech for once, I almost made my own hand slap myself to think I was in reality to listen to the boring ass kissing my cousin's father was giving out. I liked the Kennedy references since he'd be a president I'd love to meet and talk too, I wondered what must have it been like to be the first man to actually endorse NASA to launch men into space.

I blanked out for most of the senator's talking and I tried hard to at least listen for five minutes.

"So I'd like to welcome my son, the Patrick Ross to the stand." The old man finally ended his speech as I almost dozed off completely. The applause alone made me snap back to reality as glanced around to see people standing on their feet. My cousin had come in from the back with a quick spring to his step, I saw some words being exchanged to his old man and I almost wanted to throw something. Patrick's expression turned from content into annoyed within seconds, I barely caught it the subtle change but whatever was said it didn't make it out to be supportive.

Most of the people were on their feet clapping loudly for my cousin, he adjusted himself accordingly before smiling a bit nervous. I couldn't blame him for what he wanted to say now, "Thank you everyone, I'd like to thank my father for the words of encouragement. Thanks again dad. Also I have say being chosen to saw a few words is a bit comforting as well." My eyes drifted to the old man who was smugly enjoying the glow of the praises from his peers, I idly considered shutting my mouth but I wanted to support the man who was my elder brother in the same sense as family. So clearing my throat I waited a moment to gather my composure to at least prepare for a potential bad thing.

Yet I grinned before yelling out, "You got this Patrick! No pressure, man just be happy!"

Half the room snickered at my enthusiastic attempt to make my cousin smile, it worked partially as he continued onwards with his own speech.

However he did mention me within a few seconds which I almost cracked a laugh, "Well I have been chosen by my crew to share a few words, along with a certain relative of mine that I'd certainly make me happier to punch in the face now, so I'd like to say when I was on Mars I felt completely liberated per say." My smile diminished somewhat when I realized something was a bit off about him, I couldn't understand it but my gut was telling me something was wrong. I couldn't help it, the way Patrick was discussing the fragile state of our world pegged me as a bit odd for one. I remembered he never held such a view, my brother essentially wanted the world to become stronger as a means for humanity to expand into the stars themselves. So for him to go on about what he saw of our 'blue pearl' of world so full of life and how it could be destroyed made me a bit puzzled.

I mentally had to ask myself, " _So you go into space and see the vast horizons that few people have done. You say to us that we're so fragile and there's nothing about the strength of man to go beyond into the stars to see where we belong. Patrick, just what in the hell happened to you to think like that?"_

Maybe he finally wanted to see more and was disappointed, I couldn't by chance say what my cousin was thinking compared to most people who only saw him at face value. It was strange to say that he looked a bit lost, lost to something that was internally making him glance around the room as if gauging the applauding people. I could see a sliver of an emotion that made me a bit nervous, it was an emotion akin to when I even got annoyed with playing nice with whoever I didn't like. It wasn't much but I knew irritation and forced expressions when I saw them.

"Hey uncle Dennis, is Patrick feeling alright? I haven't seen him act like this before." I uttered to both my aunt and uncle respectively who were facing a familiar reaction. I glanced at them worriedly as the two caught my eyes, my uncle responded a bit tired. "He ain't the only one squirt, I feel a bit off but it's probably coming back to Earth. How about you Anne?" The man asked the woman who grimly replied in kind much to my uneasiness, "Same. All the medical officers told us it's fatigue in coming back to an actual gravity induced environment, so we should be fine in a day or two."

The explanation didn't settle my churning stomach, I witnessed my cousin's eyes wash over me briefly. I felt my nerves tingle in a warning that seemed completely alien to myself, I ignored it before clapping along with the people around us when he was finished with his own speech. I wanted to believe that I knew nothing was wrong, that I was just trying to adjust to the fact my family was back together and everything would be fine.

I kept lying to myself for in near of my nightmares returning yet again.

Eventually Patrick stepped down from the podium before sitting at our table again, I looked at him with a bit of concern. He seemingly ignored any attempts to explain his little 'fragile blue' planet analogy moments ago.

So I had to ask him a bit concerned, "Hey you alright bro? I haven't seen you act like that in a long time, I mean you sure nothings got you annoyed?" For a moment the rest of the crew was a bit interested to see the reaction between, I was scared for him truly and I didn't want anything to hurt my only remaining family in my life. Call me a pansy, or a dramatic younger sibling but I knew when my elder cousin was hiding something when it came down to his father.

When he turned to stare at me, I inwardly shivered at how _lacking_ his eyes seemed to be normal. They were a little too perfect for my tastes, no briefly moment of him looking at something or anything close to that sort. He merely said with a smile, "I'm perfectly fine Alex. I'm just happy to be home finally, it's been a long time away."

I wanted to say bullshit immediately yet I told him firmly, "If you got something to say to me then don't hesitate to call, alright? You know me when it comes down to secrets, I don't say a word unless it's completely funny. No offense uncle Dennis." I grinned fully at him flicking a piece of food at my face. He was fine with it since the strip club thing was way in the past now, the worst thing he'd get would be sleeping on the couch punishment which never worked. However I go a small nod from my cousin who went back to watching the rest of the other high profile politicians and what not notable folks talking about the Mars Mission.

And so it was like that for almost another hour or two.

I couldn't wait to go get some sleep now, I had to grip my burning shoulder to stem the pain away. As the various guests were leaving, I was standing next to my aunt and her husband. The two were talking about how much they missed one another, I managed to hold my gag reflex back when they got a bit too frisky for my liking. I happened to be looking over at my motorcycle parked across the street, I'd certainly not regret leaving on that piece of machinery and it certainly got the attention of a few people staring at it.

"So squirt where are you sleeping tonight? You need a place?" Dennis asked me a bit concerned as I shook my head, "I'm in a motel room downtown for the weekend. Please don't give me flak for it, I mean the name is cheesy when it's Motel-Eight. Yes it's cheap and I hardly care for what goes down, I'm just mingling in this city's bike rally. I mean if you're that concerned just call the desk and have it direct it you to room seventeen, alright? Again I'm there for the weekend and I'm probably going to be visiting you guys, or hanging out with some friends." My explanation made the rest of my surrogate family have their own expression in reacting to my 'home' and my Aunt was the first to pull me into a hug.

She whispered into my ear, "Don't be a stranger Alex, I know anyone of us would take you in for a proper house and home for you to live at. We all know you're not a lazy kid, so it wouldn't be a problem for any of us." I shrugged even though I stood taller than her, I managed to retort playfully. "I'm all ears Aunty Anne, so don't worry I'll be a good boy and stay away from any strangers offering me candy. I'll be fine and thanks for the offer. I'll think about it, I promise." The woman hugged me one last time as I inhaled deeply since it wasn't the first time in considering their offers to house me. They had the space and the money to support me, plus I had the financial backing of a dead inheritance to make me get by in life itself.

"We know you Alex, you aren't the punk smart ass as you pretend to be. There's something better for you out there." My aunt told me while putting my hair into a respectable fashion for the public, I knew she was just being herself finally. I knew my uncle was smirking off to the side while hailing his own ride back home and I noticed my cousin was gone. Raising an eyebrow I didn't see Patrick anywhere in the entrance of the event, I shrugged briefly knowing that if he wanted to go somewhere I'd leave him be.

It was an act of privacy and trust to know the guy wouldn't do anything completely insane.

"Relax Aunty, I'll be fine tonight. I mean if you can survive six months with uncle Dennis then you can stop worrying." I told her amused as the woman agreed with a raising of her eyes in that regard. The said man slapped me over the head in a mocked hurtful tone, "You wound me squirt, you really making it hard to have me not say I care for you." His hand ruffled my hair again and it destroyed Anne's careful progress to make me look less then a street punk on a motorcycle. Her glare made the man laugh quickly before getting into his ride back to his home for tonight.

It left me with my Aunt and her husband, the man was waving one of the cars forward. The woman who was akin to my own years ago just said the last thing to me before she went, "Just promise me Alex, that you won't be a stranger. Okay?"

I rolled my eyes at her pleading tone as I warily nodded with a resigned grin. "Alright, alright. I'll call you and Dennis soon enough, I still have to ask Patrick if he's going to find a place as well. But I'll let you go, so have a good night Aunty. Be safe." I even opened the door to her car to make it seem like I was a stand up right gentleman, her husband was laughing silently at the interaction between us too. We may not have been mother and son, but she made the effort to treat me like one. I never said no to it, I mean I was happier in knowing I still had parental figures who gave a damn about me for sure.

I shut the door to the vehicle that pulled up and I was left standing essentially alone on the cool night.

"It was nice seeing everyone again, I just hope things get back to normal. Alright Alex, go get some sleep and pop in a few painkillers for your arm. Tomorrow's a new day for sure." I muttered to myself when I crossed the street to my motorcycle. Several cars passed me by as I felt the breeze lift the bottom of my trench coat which I used to keep me warm. Yawning a bit I started up the bike before taking one last look around the area for good measure.

I glanced up to see a woman close the curtains, I ignored that and looked ahead with my life on the road.

Still I couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

" _You're just imagining things Alex, time to go head off man."_

I shook my head before pulling onto the main street, I was in need for a good sleep tonight.

* * *

Eve flipped through the channels on the television intent on seeking a glimpse of the young boy that haunted her mind since late last night. Ever since she heard his voice, it had been triggering long familiar urges and dreams that were just out of her reach. A sigh of frustration hit her before she realized it, the screen was on a sport called baseball and the teams were remarkably familiar to what she processed. An oddity arose in her heart to relax at the casual plays being made, Eve felt a pull to this sport though she knew not the reason why inside locked.

" _I do have a favorite team, my home town was south of Boston. So I'm a fan, Sil."_

She clenched the baseball in her hand now as the words of a forgotten time came around, Eve internally inhaled to feel a nostalgic feeling of curiosity. Why did that team stick out to, Alex as his name made her stomach tingle briefly. All of these unknown feelings returning to her were simply something not from her personally yet apart of her blood. Eve had started to assume what made her familiarize with a person she had never seen in her life, the entity could imagine her predecessor was the reason why. Memories or imprints were slowly recollecting themselves after a long time, it plagued her to find out more and the slow results became so frustrating so nearly crushed the ball in her hand.

"I want to meet you."

Those five words were slipping past her lips without a care in the world, it drove her to find out more about the boy and her predecessor who was a genetic copy of herself. Memories were only suppressed as long as the being wished them too be yet she wanted answers. Eve closed her eyes to feel a lingering presence beyond the walls that just mocked her to find it, tightly clenching the baseball in hand she mentally pressed herself to go beyond what was human inside her body. Behind her eyelids a reptilian slit formed to slowly enhance her mind to drift beyond the glass prison, she felt that pull to find the one who interested her in the dreams that laid endlessly bare. It was a spark of warmth that drew her into a certainly feeling of movement, she gasped out loud to feel her heart race.

"Where?"

This warmth lay in a city, a city that was close by and it excited her to the point where her body reacted in manner akin to blissful shock. Muscles contracted as sweat went down her temples, she wanted to meet this warmth and to find out more about why her chest hurt now. Hissing under breath her vision came to a peak in where a flash of light erupted in her eyes, her mind had linked with someone other than her dreams and it...

It thrilled her to discover what this type feeling could lead her yet the payoff was when she drifted into a trance like state.

Eve smiled to herself, " _I see you. I actually see you."_

She found herself staring into a mirror in some room, Eve took in the details of a young bare chested boy that was the very same in her dreams. She witnessed him panting heavily as sweat went down his skin, his body was an inferno going beyond into a temperature range that would have been pegged as deadly. His mind continuously in a flux of hidden pains that racked his limb, the arm that was marred in a scars ranging from his shoulder onto his wrists. Serrated scars that were not made by his own hands no less, Eve studied the internal conflict this boy was having within himself.

His eyes looked intently at himself as to by extension her, it was those orbs that were fighting for a sort of control within. The entity exhaled to herself as her pulse rate when up, she could actually feel his heart beat and the way he tried to brush off the headache that was forming. Eve couldn't help but giggle to herself at how lost this young boy looked, she couldn't help but want to hold him to merely appease the growing aches inside her heart now.

Now that she found him through her own power, Eve didn't plan on letting go of this connection despite another more primitive feeling surging within the same area. She briefly connected to it to feel an intense wave of lust and hunger make her cry out in shock, the baseball was crushed within her palm in seconds when that immense saturation of something akin to her was released. Eve panted heavily at the bombardment of these influx of emotional states her body was pressed into a proverbial high, she could understand these instincts when they surfaced inside her mind.

A need so primitively hungering that it made her abdomen tingle to get her to look at the screen. She knew what this feeling was and it certainly surprised her to consider it to place a word with it. Her body desired itself to conceive offspring, it puzzled her to understand why she'd do such a thing now and it seemed completely alien to her to think about it now. However it struck her right then and there as she wasn't human in that sense, well apart of herself was but not the full dormant side that she had always known to exist in her dreams. Eve inhaled deeply trying to establish contact with that warmth that set her body flame yet it was a bit too much on her part.

Her body wasn't immune to the stresses that came with prematurely using apart of her that remained asleep.

So she'd buy her time until it was the right moment to do what she wished. It'd take time but as long as she could remain patient to reestablish this feeling again. It'd be worth the effort to track the boy down, her instincts were slowly but surely awakening after a long exodus due to events before her birth. Well creation would be more the term as Eve relaxed in her seat finally, she looked around to hear several of her watches commenting if someone had 'hit a room home-run' per say, the entity looked to the television to see that such an act had just been performed. So smiling to herself she would use that excuse if need be whenever someone asked her questions.

Overall a satisfying experience for herself to accomplish, she was a tad bit curious about the other source of emotions that smashed into her. Still Eve was pleased in what had been done, so for now she'd by her time as always to learn and to adapt to what was needed for her to survive. In the aftermath of this surge of emotional responses, a single question entered her mind.

A question that made her wish to remember what had happened now.

" _Alex, can I kiss you?"_

Both eyes opened revealing a distorted but clearly forming pair of reptilian slits seeking to reawaken from it's forced hibernation.

An entity that desired to awaken for its own will.

 **End Chapter II**

 **Author's Note:** It's truly remarkable when you decide to rewrite an older story, you put the effort into making the characters/interactions all the more believable so whenever you watch the original material you see how much it changes. Any person can do this into their own personal likes for movies, I just enjoy changing it to the point where it'd be an amazing to see on a movie if any director stepped out of his comfort zone with the writers behind the scripts. But enough of that little rant of mine, the times are changing and I can assure you things will be a bit more personal for Alex.

As for Eve, well sometimes just being patient has its own rewards as we all know in the movie.

So leave a review, I do tend to enjoy them to motivate me to get the next chapters ready.


	4. Chapter III

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Chapter III**

" _Are you sure you haven't been let out before Sil?"_

 _I asked that question with a sneaking suspicion as I sat next to her on the inside of her glass home. The blond girl was smiling coyly much to growing irritation, we had just played a game of hacky sack and she totally kicked my behind to the moon! I mean she was literally bouncing the small sack of pebbles at a rate that I couldn't keep up with and plus she pulled off damned good moves. I mean I doubted I could use my ankle to hit the ball up to my forehead whip said head back and back kick it into my own waiting hand._

 _The girl next to me smiled all the more amused, "Nope."_

" _I think you're lying, I mean I've heard of beginner's luck and all but damn you take it to the next level. I guess you can be amazing at something despite living here." I said placing a hand on my cheek as the girl kept staring at me intently. We had been playing together for the past day, I had worked up the courage to ask Dr. Baker if I could go inside to play a game with Sil. It was the kind that I had told her about even though it had been a hectic few days since myself finding her in this glass tank. My parents were furious at me in wandering alone, although the Doctor herself had reassured me that they would be alright with me visiting her._

 _I didn't care really in what they thought._

 _A hand on my face brought me out of my thoughts, Sil had hesitantly reached out to place her left hand on my face. I stared at her a bit confused, "What? Did I do something to make you worried, Sil?" Her skin tone to me was incredibly smooth, it felt almost fake yet the warmth radiating off it was enough for me to put those thoughts aside. She seemed to be studying my reaction, or the lack of as I stared a bit confused at her limb on my face. I couldn't remember the last my folks ever were this concerned with me, I thought of it as kind of heart dropping.  
_

" _You're sad."_

 _I blinked when those two words hit me, now way that I didn't believe what she had just said at first. Yeah I was sad about my parents nearly laying into me about meeting Sil, I mean it wasn't my fault no one came around to pick me up at the lobby. I was sad because I tried to do what they had taught me to in the first place. Just in being a nice person to a stranger who was locked in a glass box and I nearly got my head chewed off as a result. What was the big deal with that?  
_

 _Just what was I supposed to do with Sil? Did my parents expect me to just ignore her and walk on my merry way? No person would do that willingly, hell I knew no person my age would be like that. Plus I wouldn't want to do that to a person like her and she was my friend, since it mattered to me to be a nice person. I had so few of them nowadays due to me moving around as apart of a government funded family. So chalk that up to the parents for their handling of me having the lack of people called friends.  
_

 _Sil got my attention somehow with her hand on my face, I felt my eyes being drawn to her smile."Alex. I like you because you're nice."_

 _I shrugged to avoid to have my face turning red, I thanked myself mentally for bring spare clothes to dress Sil into since it'd have been awkward to all hell with her naked. Laura had been very forthcoming and supportive of me actually providing clothing for her, I mean the lab's staff had been asking me questions about Sil since word got out of me hanging out with her. I only told what I truly thought to Laura because she was the nicest doctor around. I trusted her to show that I was nervous with so many people asking about what was happening inside the glass box itself. No one ever said what was the big deal in being with Sil, I mean sure it was awkward at first but I think we were getting alone nicely, at least I thought so.  
_

" _Thank you Sil, I guess. So do you want me to read one of books I brought today with you. I know yesterday you wanted me to bring some if I had any." I switched the course of the conversation as I brushed off her hand gently to reach over to one of the Sci-Fi books I had brought along. It seemed kind of cheesy but I guess it'd serve it's purpose for a good laugh, Sil had never once indicated that she was bored of such things. I mean I did come prepared this time to be around for most of the day, so I had to really think on what I wanted to bring._

 _I brought my hacky sack, the books of course and a pillow to rest my back against the glass barrier. It was a pain to sit up straight all the time, I had to lean back to have the softness of the fabric to do it's purpose of relaxing myself. I figured to ask myself if I should bring another pillow next time for Sil, I felt bad that I didn't bring one for her at all. However she never seemed to be uncomfortable in the slightest when watching me, or when we we're playing around either. Speaking of being watched, I turned over to see past the barrier onto the outside.  
_

 _My eyes went to outside of the glass box, Dr. Baker was sitting on a chain while jotting down notes the entire time I was inside with Sil, "Hey Doc. Can I bring another pillow tomorrow for Sil? I should have asked if I could bring one for her today, but I kind of got side tracked." Sil had unknowingly given me a flat stare for turning my attention to Laura, I never saw it. Laura took a moment of her time to ponder an answer to my inquisitive gaze but she only smiled reassuringly at me, much to my inward relief. The small things in life could make a person feel all the better in the world, I saw that saying on television at lot.  
_

" _I'm sure we can work something out as well, Alex. I'll ask if we can bring in a television for you two, I know you've been dying to watch the Dukes of Hazzard aren't you?" I perked up at the prospect of watching my favorite show on TV. I had gotten a few recorded tapes at my house to watch on my spare time but to get new episodes? I immediately wanted to go hug the woman with my all heart, oh she certainly knew how to make my day up as I grinned happily, "Thanks Doc, you're the best!"_

 _When I turned to Sil, I had to do a double take._

 _She was actively pouting while staring away for me for once. I blinked to understand that Sil was a bit jealous? I had to run that by myself a few times before it started to make sense, I guessed. So despite being somewhat confused I managed to gently call out to her, "Sil? Did I say something bad to upset you?" I sat next to her waiting curiously and patiently. Honestly I wanted to know why she was acting like this though, I never witnessed this reaction. It was something definitely new since all I'd ever see her was stare at me, or merely sit close to me when I entered her home._

 _She twitched for a moment as I reached out to touch her on the shoulder, her hand gripped mine in a tight grip that made me ask a single word._

" _Sil?" I said her name again as she turned to stare at me with a glare, "You called Laura the best. What am I then to you, Alex?"_

 _My free hand went to scratch the back of my neck, well I honestly had no idea really. I mean I thought of Sil as a good friend, but didn't think she'd be offended I called someone like Laura the best doctor in the world. In my eyes she was, I mean she was kind, cool and very friendly to everyone around her. I believed my parents thought of her as a positive influence on me based on the small snippets of conversations they had at night, I always tried to ignore them. Although sometimes I did do the bad thing to listen in for asking a single question pertaining to why. If someone asked me what a girl would think about me comparing her to a woman about a month ago, I'd have said that person was a crazy person straight out._

 _But now I really didn't have an answer because Sil was different._

 _Different to me in a good way, yet I had to ask myself how? How was Sil so different for me to think about something that pertained to her. I mean she was funny, a bit of a joker for sure, also she was amazing at sports for what I gathered and overall a good person at heart. So what did stand out about her, I tried to think long and hard about this even if she shifted in my grip uneasily. Man this was embarrassing because I knew the Doctor was smirking when that question was asked. I knew in my gut and I dared myself to glance over at the lone adult, she was watching us with an amused expression on her face._

 _Yup, I knew it._

 _I took a moment to glance over at her, so my mind instantly said the first thing that came to mind when she looked at me fully. I still had that reaction when I first saw her, there was something inexplicably odd about her in a good way if I could mention it._

" _Cute."_

 _Sil tilted her head at me as I realized what I just said, I actually said the word I'd rather die then admit! Oh dear god what had I done! My eyes were widening as my face flushed into a heat that made the girl next to me repeat what I dreaded to say, I couldn't help it! The first thing that comes to mind was me complimenting the cutest girl I had ever talked too, I felt like an idiot now. There was no going back on what I had just said, I think Laura almost dropped her clipboard because I heard laughter behind my ears now._

" _I'm cute?"_

 _I suddenly found the floor all the more fascinating yet again, I didn't respond due to my inward shock of saying that word. I knew for a fact I shouldn't have but it was the most honest thing I could come up with in the first place! I blamed Laura, I blamed me and I blamed everything leading upwards into this freaking conversation._

 _However I fessed up to it, the best thing I could do was explain. As much as I really didn't want too and it made my stomach squirm uneasily, "Yes you're cute and even pretty, Sil. I'd say you are the best person whose the prettiest I had ever talked too. No offense to the Doctor but she comes up short compared to you." Sil's grip on my hand loosened briefly as she looked at intently, I didn't flinch even though it seriously tempted me. I gave off a weak smile to make the girl grin in a manner akin to someone who was enjoying themselves._

" _Thank you, Alex."_

 _Sil then did something that made my heart almost fly out of my chest, she took my arm to have wrap around her shoulders and allowed herself to press face first on top of my chest. I truthfully had the worst cotton mouth on the planet at the time, my stomach was acting weird and my entire heart almost galloped like a dang horse shot out of a gate. My brain took itself a few minutes to considerably understand what was happening now, Sil had just laid herself completely comfortable across my chess with us about to read a book together. Her body curled into mine to have a surge of heat smack into me when my heart was racing like a horse._

 _I felt sick but in a good way, I mean if that were even possible!_

 _So I managed to rasp out nervously, "You're welcome Sil, I don't see why but I hope you're comfortable at the least."_

 _Shakily one of hands drifted to ease itself onto the blond girl's shoulder, Sil became a bit more responsive in the sense of nuzzling her head contently at the junction of my neck and shoulder. If this was being affectionate meant, I kind of liked it and I'd certainly wouldn't hate to be like this with a pretty girl. I guess this was what most people looked forward too as they got older? I blinked trying to comprehend my own thought processes but I had to shake my head to start reading the book I brought in from home._

 _I never noticed a smile widen on Sil's face._

 _And I never noticed how she subtly gripped me tighter when I held her close._

* * *

I groaned when my eyes fluttered rapidly to clear away the groggy vision that plagued me, I almost fell off my bed as I realized the time. My eyes took in the clock before sighing heavily, I gripped the side of my face out of sheer resignation, "God damn it. Get out of my _fucking_ head, just get the fuck out and go away! Never come back!" I hissed this out vindictively to nothing inside the silent room. Why did those dreams come back after years of putting them away, so just why in the hell did I have to think about her and that place yet again? Sitting up in my bed I felt the cool air hit my bare chest, I had sweat throughout the night and it only served to annoy me.

The pain in my arm barely let up, I glanced down to make sure I wasn't figuratively bleeding due to how painful these phantom scars gave me. Perhaps I'd take a higher pill count from the painkillers in the bathroom again if things kept getting worse, I exhaled heavily trying to get my coherent thoughts together. I knew for a fact I hadn't had those types of dreams for a long time, I never liked the idea of someone being that close to me and not realizing how naive I seemed back then. I glared vacantly forward to stare at the wall to see the scars lining up my arm and into my chest area, an area that had been a punctured lung that almost cost me my life.

A life that shouldn't have be in danger yet it happened.

Sitting up I walked to the bathroom to at least take a hot shower, I stared at myself in the mirror to see a defeated face looking back. Inwardly my brain ached due to the migraine I had, it had been a spur of the moment to take aspirin and pray that it actually dampened the pain itself. It barely did it's purpose before I tried to sleep, " _You look like crap Alex. You look like absolute crap now, I'm never having wine again_." My unscathed limb gripped my opposite shoulder to see the scaring, a light pinkish and some portions were lightly bleeding out again. It was a common occurrence that many doctors had told me in my past that I should have lost this arm yet having a bit blood spilling out was a small sacrifice to have the limb intact.

I refused to remember what caused it.

As I turned away something caught my eye on the edge of my peripherals in the form of blond hair!

I felt my legs go rubbery when I realized what on earth I almost pictured and I barely avoided had a heart attack to see that nothing was there. I inwardly took a breath despite shaking my head off the image, I decided to take a shower and call it an end to the nightmare. I stepped into the shower when the water started to run down, the hot liquid soothed my trembling body briefly when I pressed a hand onto the tiled wall to steady myself. Small droplets of crimson ran down my scarred arm, the thin yet sensitive flesh would occasionally split open but otherwise it kept on healing. It'd be like this for most of my life if the doctor's were accurate on the assumption.

I placed my arm forward to have my forehead against it, I could hear the trickle of laughter. A series of laughter from two kids years ago, I felt every second haunt me akin to phantoms that would never leave me in peace. I clenched both fists to have knuckles pop when I heard a familiar voice echo in my ears, I hated every second of it.

" _Sil stop! I'm ticklish, no please stop!"_

I snarled out loud angrily when my hand slammed against the wall to stop myself from thinking about those day. I told myself consistently, "Stop thinking about it Alex, god damn it just stop thinking about her. There's nothing there for what that trouble was, it's gone and it's all in the past." The water could have saved me a tear as I glanced upward to see a distance image of a blond haired girl who was smiling at me warmly. I shuddered when painful tremors racked my body, I needed to get out away from this place soon. I really needed to get away from these nightmares that were coming back onto me full swing.

A headache started to come around much to my growing irritation.

" _Just what I needed, I'm taking more aspirin this time around. Getting sick of this crap, I haven't felt sick in god knows how long and now all of a sudden, headaches on top of it?"_ It had to be karma or something of that line to strike back at me hard. Here I thought I had appeased all of the bad things in my life yet perhaps I still had many more to get rid off for whatever reasons. I could never reassure myself to say I was being the best person, I just didn't care after doing what I had one years ago. I turned off the shower to roll both my shoulders out of reflex, I told myself to get ready for the bike rally today and just enjoy the time I had to be relaxing.

When I started changing I swore I heard laughter echoing in my ears again, I shook my head to ward it off to concentrate on the day ahead. These head aches got worse when I thought about the past, I knew it had to be a phantom reminder of what in gods name that I had been through. I went over to the cupboard to take four pills since three barely did me any good, I knew it had gotten close to the overdose limit but I could care less. If anything I wanted to forget everything in what happened to me at that place, I wanted to forget it and for once I'd be damned to not state an obvious wish.

Soon enough I got my clothes on to prepare for the day, I had to ask myself silently if I had the choice to forge the past or do something different. I'd do it in a heart beat, I hated these nightmares so much and they only got worse when I willingly wanted to _understand_ just what the fuck why I got picked to deal with it? I had no answers as to what happened back then and it never gave me comfort I had to stay in a hospital for months afterward with barely an recognition of how bad I had gotten. I only remembered waking up with a raspy throat, an aching arm and a whole slew of traumatized images that refused to leave me in peace.

When I got the rest of my clothing on I felt a pull on the side of head, I immediately grasped my temple area as it spiked in a height of agony. My teeth were clenched when the throbbing got worse, "What the fuck is happening to me? This isn't a normal migraine, I think I got to go to a hospital or something." I bit out to myself shaking this event off, I had no idea in what was causing this to happen to me. I tried endlessly to think about anything calming yet I looked to the refrigerator in the kitchen with a desperate motivation.

So quickly I ran over to open the top portion to have a bag of ice in stock, I easily pressed it against my head when I moved back to my bed to lie down back first to stare at the ceiling. My eyes were blurring out to the point where the room seemed to swirl in on itself, the coloration's were endlessly making me sick to my stomach.

" _What the hell is wrong with me, I feel like my head is going to explode! Son of a bitch this isn't normal, this really isn't!"_ My skull wanted to decompress on its own accord as I desperately tried to roll over on the bed to just stop this stagnate position. Both of my hands were gripping the ice pack as cracking could be heard even in my pain induced state, the pressure I exerted onto them were breaking the solid pieces of over my forehead! I felt steam literally waft off my skin when the cold water was meeting it, I had to whimper because it barely helped. I had water trailing down the sides of my own head to damned the sheets that my body was curling up into now.

I looked over in a haze to a mirror to see something that me realize I was getting delirious, I swore for a moment I saw a blond woman in my own reflection smiling at my sweating face. I blinked again to see it disappear for a moment and I had groan while slamming a fist down on the side to use anger to fight pain! My eyes were leaking tears as the pain grew progressively worse, I wanted it to end and in a desperate move I clenched my eyes tightly shut to think of anything to stop this god awful agony that had slammed into me.

I remained like this for a few minutes and the pain stopped!

"What the fucking hell was that? Holy hell!" I panted when I shuddered when the coldness of the ice pack hit me all of a sudden, I threw it away to have it break against the wall. I needed to seriously consider getting a scan of my head for a tumor or something, I swore I had something wrong with me and I had no way in heaven to understand what. Tremors were routinely coming around to make me wish that I had the excuse it was an earthquake, I felt the entirety of my back suddenly heat up in a brief frenzy.

The result would be the fabric going from a cool cloth into an enhanced back warmer, I almost wanted to vomit when my stomach churned. If this was the result of wine, I'd never go near the damned bottles ever again and I'd remain chaste when in the presence of alcohol for the rest of my life. Eventually I regained the strength and the will to move my sore body, I swore to myself that I needed to order out for food tonight. I had nothing left to even get myself to move around and going to the bike rally would be impossible at this rate. Shivers were racking my body for some reason now, I knew it wasn't due to a literal chill but of my own body trying to reorganize itself.

Shakily I placed both hands on the side of my face to warrant off the exhaustion so I muttered, "I know people say having alcohol as a minor can hurt you, but this is bullshit. I need something to eat now, I might as well order out to get it over and done with." I stayed like this for a good ten or so minutes, I really had to calm myself down after that brief stint of insanity. Eventually I got myself moving to the phone to start ordering some food, I got the feeling if I at least ate something solid it'd do me some good in the long run.

As I went over to the phone where it sat on the coffee table on the side of my bed, I practically jumped out of my skin.

It rang when I came to within inches of it!

I had to laugh that coincidence off a bit, " _Oh crap. Phones rings when I reach for it, what a nice surprise that's becoming._ "

Clearing my throat I picked it up to simply say, "Hello?"

"Alex. It's Patrick." I had to raise my eyebrows in complete surprise, I never knew my cousin would call so soon and personally it was very strange. I leaned back in my bed avoiding the soaked sheets to ask my cousin exactly what got him to call me the next day, "Well this is a first. I mean I usually call your happy self, so what's the occasion? Anything that interesting happen to you already?" I heard a shuffling sound on the other end of the line, I honestly had no idea in what was going on from wherever he was calling at.

"Something did happen, listen Alex, I know you and I have been close over the years. I've looked after you even though your folks died, I knew your mother and she'd been happy for you. I know you and them had problems, I think we all have parental issues..." Patrick trailed off on the other end that made me narrow my eyes. What in gods name had gotten into my cousin, I had never seen the guy sad or even heard him like _this_ before at all. I sat up immediately washing away the pains inside my head, I glanced to the clock to see that it wasn't late in the day but I had to suddenly wish I knew where my cousin was at now.

He didn't like himself and it bothered the living hell out of me.

"Patrick you can talk to me, I know you know I don't say anything to anyone without a reason. Where you at, I'll head over and we talk face to face about whatever got you like _this_ over the phone. Please bro, I don't want you to act like this and I'm sure we can deal with whatever is bothering you. I know your old man is a dick, so tell him to fuck off." I pleaded with him as the man sighed over the phone, he didn't sound very happy nor even remotely alive for that matter. I really felt scared for him as he replied over the line, I think he must have been smiling sadly. I heard him take a shaky breath almost as if he were breaking down, I could imagine tears leaking down his face.

"How do you tell someone that you can't explain that you did, I mean what do you do?" That sudden question made me think a bit hard for an answer. It took me a few minutes but I eventually had to take a shot in the dark about the night of the party, he must have cheated on his fiancee or something. So I took a deep breath to at least explain my point of view, as limited as it was, I had to at least give my cousin a chance to decide.

"You slept with someone other then Melissa right? Is that what this is about? If so, talk it out with her man and she'll more then likely understand. I don't know what you did, so my advice is talk it out with her and if that fails get some help. I mean you have a whole damned team of doctors for you and the others for the shuttle, right?" I heard Patrick give a long exhale of breath, I guessed he seemed to be taking it well and I held the phone tightly. I honestly was so damned tempted to call my uncle and fucking tell him to go find my cousin like right now! He wasn't himself as something truly had shook him to the point where I had him crying over a damned phone for no reason!

"Listen I have to go, but I'll think about what you said. Stay safe Alex, I love you brother and thank you for listening to me. You do more for me then my own father..."

The phone line went dead.

God almighty I felt my face pale.

I stood there looking at the wall without doing much other then trying to figure out what was going on with my cousin. He didn't sound good at all, hell I'd bet he was scared for some reason and I had no way in knowing if I could call anyone to check up on him. If I even knew where he was at, so it boiled down to me calling my uncle since I knew the number at his house by heart. I knew got my Aunts because she had moved into a new house just right before she left to go into space, I had to call someone to have them check up on Patrick immediately. They were more likely going to know where he stayed at since I didn't have a clue really.

My fingers were already working on the number to reach my uncle's home and I felt my heart rate pick up to the point where it certainly left me scared. I waited for a minute to hear the dialing tone but no one was picking up at the house, I almost felt my guy drop when no one was answering. It meant two things for me to accept, that my uncle was having fun with the old lady or he was simply not home. I slammed the damned phone down in frustration to figure out what I could do now, I had to do something or else I'd be having nightmares about things I'd rather not think about. Absently my hand covered my mouth to have myself bite my tongue to stop an action of aggression, it only made me scared for some reason or another.

But the hellish moment came when I distinctly heard a faint _laughter_ echo in my ears.

I whipped about to see if I was going crazy, I heard a woman laugh and there wasn't anything in my room to justify why I heard that. The television wasn't on so no show could said to have a female presence and none of the occupying rooms had occupants. Plus I had selected this place because it was on a fringe part of the city where little people visited. I had to be going crazy now, I just knew it in the back of my mind that I was seriously starting to lose it because of those nightmares. I had years of silence and peace, but for them to come back on an overdue late charge to warrant my anger. So I had to ask just what in gods name was happening to me now?

" _What is wrong with me?"_

Those five words were continuously making me feel ill, I wanted to go throw up in a toilet now and my stomach churned in agreement. The headaches were getting worse slowly but surely, my body felt like it was on fire and not once did my arm respond to the agonizing blaze within its muscles. I just wanted it all to end and for me to go back to my normal life, I wanted it all to stop, so I could just move on with my own life. My knees collapsed when a wave of pain wrecked my mind in a sea of fire, I just fell onto the floor and I silently screamed when my leg kicked at the dresser to have it violently shake.

My body convoluted when tremors racked its frame for a moment, I had to keep on kicking the thick wooden dresser to not resort to screaming. I felt wood give away when portions of it snapped due to my fury, I could believe this was happening to me! Just what the fuck did I eat get me to this point? It felt like everything was starting to tear itself apart, I felt my heart race and beg to keep itself pumping when I inhaled loudly to simply breathe. Whatever episode I was having nearly made tears trail down my cheek when it finally began to subside, I couldn't believe what in gods name had caused this and it scared me right down to the core.

I felt so scared now because I had no idea what was causing this!

" _Alex, let's play. Let's play together."_

I screamed when I heard that voice yet again in my head! I just screamed in rage to cover my face with both of my hands to curl up into a ball, I didn't want to hear her again! I didn't want to hear that person ever again, I damned myself for even talking with her all those years ago and I never once wanted to remember it all! My eyes were burning when I saw that smile of a blond, a smile whose very owner wasn't normal and I was the poor son of a bitch who went to tempt the devil. I felt tears leak down my cheeks when I heard the laughter echoing when I was so much younger.

Eventually the episode subsided much to my utter relief, I had tears still going when I stood up shakily to head towards the bathroom. Both legs felt akin to rubber so I had no sense of direction but to hold myself over the sink to stare myself in the mirror. Slowly but surely my face just seemed to contort into a grieving teenager in which I truly was, I denied so much of what I considered to be a child yet I just cried.

I cried alone, alone to grieve over that pain in my chest and I felt every second of my age just defeat me since I wasn't even an adult. I wasn't a child but many would consider me to be as such, I hated those types of people with all my heart and I never once wished I'd have experience the hell I did. I'd never wish anyone to experience, more so I could see her face in my head as she smiled. I could see every moment with a picture clear clarity as I saw...

"Sil."

I heard that laughter in my head, I almost puked when I heard something else in my mind. I swore it was a name that I never had heard before and it was so faint that I managed to whisper it. It felt alien in a sense to make me shudder in terror to realize I knew something that I consciously never learned for whatever reasons. It felt strange, incredibly so and I had to look up in the mirror to see my eyes slowly but surely waver.

The word appeared in my head with a lingering trace of amusement, "Eve _."_

I could only stare at myself in the mirror before I had to ask myself a single question.

" _What in god's name is happening to me?"_

* * *

"You said my name, you said my name." Eve murmured to herself sighing in bliss when she leaned back in her chair, she watched the television in front of her as it was playing the Dukes of Hazard that made her feel all the more happier. Her mind continuously expanded as parts of herself that had been dormant were awaking in intervals that made her consistently push herself. She increased her physical activity in order to burn off the excess amounts of energy that grew in with her strength, it felt liberating to hound her questions with a means to prepare her. Eve knew inwardly she'd have to get Alex back to the labs since she desired to see him face to face, it excited her to see a face that was in her memories yet she herself hadn't seen physically.

Closing her eyes she turned herself into the mind of the young boy, it had proven to be strenuous to maintain that subtle warming connection but it was possible. It took a great amount of effort for her to hone that skill that was within her dormancy, Eve inhaled deeply feeling the emotions swirling inside her interest. Every second felt like a life time when she peered into the dreams of the boy, she could see her predecessor Sil smile at him and the giggling laughter of children filtered into her ears. The entity inhaled shakily to feel that surging familiarity within her chest grow, she wanted to meet him face to face and she'd be damned to not attempt too!

Her blood and body were demanding that she find the boy.

"Eve? Are you alright?" The entity looked over to see a human woman, a blond who had the look of a concerned friend. This was the familiar face of a doctor that she saw in her predecessor's memories and the boy's as well.

Although the two held a similar distrust of the doctor for various reasons, Eve knew her predecessor wasn't too trusting of the human woman but it led to a tolerance due to allowing a certain boy to be with her. However the boy himself, Alex, he had a lingering resentment that bordered in a burning hatred if she picked up the signs within his mind alone. It was locked away and consistently suppressed through whatever means, but she could feel that subtle effort to keep it out of his present life. Still she had to respond to the only constant in her life that would be considered a friend, Eve nearly felt the potency of that hate from the boy she was still telepathically linked too.

"I'm just tired Laura, it's no different really from what I usually feel." She responded finally in an earnest tone, the woman had a look of understanding yet a helplessness flashed in her eyes. It wasn't that hard to miss on a human's face since they seemed to wear there emotions on the sleeves, Eve just sat there watching the television to see a world she hadn't ever seen in her lifetime. It was like a teasing dream, a teasing what if that drove her anxious to see if such a dream could be attained and it gnawed at her to be free.

"Yesterday really got to you didn't it?" Laura asked simply as Eve turned to stare at the woman with a humorless smile, "I know what they say up there behind that glass. I'm just something that they want to destroy so whatever happened in the past won't repeat, I'm just a test subject and they don't see me as being even remotely human."

Oh the doctor had good intentions for her well being, the entity could state that clearly but one good thing against so many negatives weren't effective to keep her content. It was the never ending tests, the never ending ways her body fought to survive against the fatalistic methods humans used to end her because of what happened years ago. She wasn't even considered to exist yet the stigma was passed onto her like a curse meant to have those suffer for hell. It was getting very, very annoying to contend with and that time to break free was close.

It was so close yet so far, so she had to be patient as always.

She nearly missed out on what Laura said, "It's difficult for people to understand things they don't understand Eve. It's apart of human nature for us to be afraid, but it takes a stronger person to see why they're afraid to find an answer to stop being afraid. Sometimes it takes a stronger person to know they did something wrong because they were afraid, but merely didn't lend a helping hand..." the woman trailed off briefly making the entity narrow her eyes. Something didn't add up with Laura acting remorseful, it puzzled her to see the normally positive woman to feel guilty about whatever that got to be like this. So the entity reached out to grab the woman's hand, her fingers brushed over the human's knuckles to get her out of that state.

Not of sentiment but merely a vested curiosity in why she was acting like that.

"You're regretting about something before I was ever created. What happened?" Eve asked genuinely interested as Laura stared up at her with a sad smile. It wasn't an expression she had seen from the woman and it made her all the more attentive to what was said next.

"Yes. It was before you were born." She corrected gently even as the entity inwardly sighed, "I made a mistake involving Sil, it's a mistake that's haunted me for a long time Eve and it lead me to at least make a difference for you." A stray tear was wiped away much to the entities own intense gaze, Eve wanted to know more and she made it clear in her actions. A nagging thought pulled on her mind to hear what Laura was saying, the memories were clear as to what happened with Alex but her instincts were screaming in knowing the doctor was involved.

"Is that what makes me more human Laura? For me in making a mistake because I'm tired of living like this?" The doctor smiled somewhat amused, it lifted her spirits briefly as she replied tonelessly. Whatever ate away at the human woman, Eve noticed it was more akin to disgust at her own self being. An odd way to understand what made humans, human and how it was interesting to see the woman stare off in a vacant gaze to the far wall.

The woman was more amendable to admit this with her inside her prison, "Maybe. Maybe so Eve, I made a mistake because I was blinded of my own indecision to not be human for once. I made a mistake and it cost the life of a person who looked up to me, I'll always remember his face in seeing me when I explained what it was like to a person in my shoes." A hand covered her mouth momentarily as past memories overwhelmed the woman, Eve wasn't stupid in the slightest. In her head she was putting together the clues, the signs and all the crumbs to lead onwards into what hit close to home. It involved the boy, Alex and his own past was less then happy to remember the days with her predecessor.

So why did she feel so much joy, in so much regret and in wanting to find him? For what reason did she wish to hold him close, to feel him against her and all for what? It gnarled at her consciousness like when a person picked endlessly at a wall to find a break, it was so consistent that it bugged her and she like the thrill of solving such a drive from her own well being.

"What was his name?"

An obvious question that made her demand the answer mentally, Laura looked over to her to smile fondly as if lost in the days past. "Alex. He was a young boy when I met him, he looked up to me and I honestly let him experience something that could have been prevented. I think he'd have seen you and enjoyed talking to you Eve, he liked the same things you do now." While this statement caused a surge of happiness and hope to blossom in her chest, Eve knew that whimsical tone in when a person thought of a person in the past. Just not in the present day, the entity still pressed that urge to ask the woman a startling request that almost seemed completely alien in nature.

An irony since she wasn't human in the least as well.

"Can I meet him one day Laura? It seems like I could try to talk to someone new, I'd promise to only talk and have him on the other side of the glass. I mean if it's fine with you..." Eve said timidly like a teenager whose birthday that came early, it made Laura sigh heavily. Such a request would boost the cooperation onto a new level, but it would be incredibly difficult to acquire _mutual_ trust on a lot of fronts to make that happen. However she owed it to settle the ghosts of the pasts, she had to settle the nightmares in her own self and to pay back a debt to settle things right.

"I can't make any promises Eve." Laura stated quietly yet she looked up for a moment, "But I'll at least try for you and for myself, I may have to patch up old wounds after all. I just wonder if things we'll be different this time around, I hope."

The entity inwardly was smiling to the point where it would split her face yet Eve managed to control her outward expression into an innocent delight. It wasn't faked in the least and it convinced the human sitting in front of her all the more easily. Not to mention the genuine excitement of thrills setting her nerves aflame to see the boy, potentially or not was enough to get giddy. A rare occurrence for her to say to admit, or to give out to any person in the least.

"I won't be like the other one, Laura, I know I'm different but I can handle myself for anyone. I don't care if he's a he, man or woman, I'll do what I can to be a better person for my own sake. It's something I'll always have to learn for the rest of my life."

Not all of her words were lies.

But neither were they the truth at all.

However they were the seeds of a suggestion that would certainly make two worlds of the present and past clash together soon enough. Sometimes people would always come through with a promise and throughout it all in the idea of doing good. A saying came up with what Eve had learned from watching many people on the television and started to build herself into what was coming on the horizon. A chance for freedom was coming, it was coming soon and she knew inwardly in her heart that such a moment to spring from this was prison would be for her sake.

Yet unknowingly Eve remembered a saying that she had learned on the television one night.

And she applied it to what Laura would attempt to do.

The road to hell was paved with good intentions.

 **End Chapter III**

 **Author's Note:** The more reviews you people pile on, the faster I might be motivated to get these chapters down. Trust me, reviews in all sizes and descriptions make any author feel more attuned to write more despite the time frame I have. Trying to get a new job is no easy feat, but to some it's doable and for me I have to contend with the fact in waiting.

However overall, this story is going to affect the movies events in some way or shape, I just find this to be more refreshing in where you dive into the mind of this character. I'd like to believe everyone can relate to this kid, I can be wrong but in anyhow that's what I got to say. I left this chapter on that note because it's what it states, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so what do you think might go wrong? I won't spoil but only you readers have the means to guess via reviews or thoughts.


	5. Chapter IV

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Chapter IV**

I once again woke up with a headache, I really had taken more then my fair share of aspirin from a bottle when I hit the bed. It helped to a point where it was merely a dull throbbing, so it became manageable much to my growing desire to stick my head into a tub of ice. My nightmares were going away finally, I had to wake up rubbing my eyes in order to fully at appreciate the good nights sleep that came around. Rolling my head left to right, I swept the sheets back off the bed to walk to the bathroom to stare at myself in the mirror again. I needed to see if the good nights sleep had done anything for me at all.

I was in for a shock when I saw how pale I looked.

"Holy shit! Did I become Caspar the friendly ghost or what?" That question came out when I saw trace bits of skin flaking off, I mean it looked like I had a serious sun burn when I pulled off scarps of dead skin on the side of my jawline. Shaking my head I just felt like utter crap now, I had been bed ridden for about day or so and it certainly got a bit better for sure. Taking a towel I wiped down my face to ride myself of the droplets of sweat, I figured to go get something to eat this time around. So with that in mind I considered what I could get when I walked out of the bathroom to get my clothes set.

" _Things maybe looking up after all, so lesson learned. No drinking under age and stay away from wine for the next year, if I can do that I'd say it's a lesson learned alright."_ I didn't want to press my luck when it came to alcohol for once. I mean I thought last night or so was an indicator to not really tempt fate for what it was now. Grinning a bit sheepishly, I'd follow my aunts advice to not do that again or else I'd get kicked in the shins for trying. I shook off the soreness around my back when I stretched in getting my pants on with a click of the belt going around my waist.

I inhaled deeply when my shirt and coat went over my face, I needed to get some air. So a quick set of my boots along with the various assortment of items needed on my day to day basis. It didn't take long when I got myself set, it felt good to get out of this place finally and I adjusted my cap directly. I started to move towards the door, I knew today was going to be fine and it'd be no different from the past month or so.

As I got within several feet of my door leading outside...

A series of knocks startled me when I jolted back surprised!

" _God damn it! First the phone and now the fucking door, I'm not dealing with this a third time! This is like the set up to some cliche horror movie, I just hate this jump scare crap!"_ I started to rant inwardly inside my head, I almost had a heart attack again. Patrick's call still rattled me for sure, so whoever this surprise visitor to my humble aboard better be something else. I didn't want to chew out whoever knocked at my door at this time of the day, I almost felt my stomach do a flip. So taking a moment to compose myself I reached for the knob to see who the hell was knocking at my room. For all I knew it was some person that I met at the bike rally who tracked me down finally, I mean I had said where I'd be staying to a few people during my tenure here.

But my expectations were completely shattered when I opened the door.

" _You got to be fucking kidding me."_

A blond woman stood in front of me.

"Hello Alex."

My eyes hardened when my entire body froze as an age old rage filled my core, I couldn't believe who the fuck was in standing in front of me. I almost wanted to punch this person dead in the face, I felt that urge so immensely that it nearly killed me to not think in doing it. I took a deep breath when I coldly responded to the person standing not two feet in front of me. A person who I had not seen in years because I'd swore to kill for what they didn't do to help when I was younger.

"Dr. Baker, well, well, well. What a _horrible_ sight it is to see you." I stressed the word out to make the woman smiled sadly at my words. My mind was flying a rate that I barely had done in months, I never expected this person to appear out of the blue like this and the bigger question was why. Just why the fuck was this woman standing in my doorway?

"I see you haven't changed." She said this somewhat remorseful as I retorted hotly when I stepped out of my room, I even went to slam the door on my way out. My voice wasn't comprising on what I felt after years, "You ever wonder why the fuck I haven't? So care to sit around and take _notes_ instead?"

Laura flinched at my actions altogether, I knew she'd be a bit less then thrilled to have me in an arms length. I had told her the last we met if she came within feet of me, I'd break her jaw and it'd take the army to stop me from tearing her a new one. Oh I owned more then enough interest to pay her back with the shit she pulled on me years ago, I was barely thirteen at the time if I recall right. So locking the door with an audible click I moved to the railing to lean against it, I wanted her against the wall if she pissed me off. It'd save me trouble instead of jumping down when an urge to throw her over the railing came to my mind in a fury.

"You better have a god damned good reason for appearing in front of my face Laura, or you're going to find that my good conscious is not going to hold out." I threatened her with a firm promise that made the woman sigh heavily, if this was a social call then I was going throw the first punch. I could care less in how I hated myself but getting even with a woman who certainly didn't care for a life? Well I'd think that was the least of this world's problems on any hand. It took a sheer amount of my will to hold myself back for a time, I really hated her with a passion that made racism look tame.

"I'd be lying if I thought that would be the only reason Alex, I know you have all the cause in the world to hate me. I don't blame you really, I do make a lot of mistakes and I can't hide from them." I was growing impatient by the second, I had to be one to say those words when I looked in the mirror every night. Every nightmare was because this damned woman didn't lift a finger to help me. Remembering I had cried out to her begging for her help and all I got was a damned monster taking notes down. It was like I wasn't even human, or anything remotely close to a person who was screaming for help. So I had the cause to considerably tell her off yet the old days made me at least hear her out.

"Get to the point." I simply said while folding my arms over my chest, I glanced down to see a black car of sorts with a person at the wheel. I couldn't tell who it was because of the sunglasses the man was wearing and he seemed impatient to where he kept the car running.

Laura inhaled deeply before saying to me directly, "Alex your cousin Patrick is in trouble. We don't know where to find him and we asked Dennis to help us search for him. I need you to come with me back to the labs and tell us anything that you..."

I walked away without even as so much as telling her off, I didn't want to hear this woman speak anymore. She comes out of the blue after I spent years trying to forget that damned glass prison in order to put myself back together. I lost my parents, I lost everything that made me in fact myself and I almost wanted to go kill this woman when I was a preteen. I never felt so angry in my entire life, it'd be a feeling that I'd be a dumb ass to forget and I'd never forgive her! Plus she had the balls to come up into my life again, to ask me for something that I didn't believe her and I knew my brother wasn't in trouble because of who he was.

I knew Patrick wasn't that type to get in trouble, he'd be the first to tell anyone about it!

So even in hell I'd give her the courtesy to say a few short words, "Oh fuck off."

Laura came running after me within seconds, "Alex! Please we need you to come back to the labs just o answer questions about Patrick! Something is seriously wrong and..." When her hand gripped my arm as a means to stop me, I felt my control just snap. It wasn't some dramatic feeling, or emotion that normally would surge through me. I almost would say it was like a calm before a storm, a pleasant liberating restraint that had been destroyed and I was happier. However on the outside my entire body just froze like it had been dipped in a cold water, I managed to let loose a singular facial expression that made the woman beside me realize.

To realize she just set me off.

In the end I smiled when my jaw twitched and that was the warning she never got.

I whirled around using both of my hands to slam her into the wall, the doctor gasped out in pain when I pressed my forearm against her throat. I distinctly heard a car door slam shut yet I ignored it, I focused all my attention onto the woman who gave me my nightmares every night. Everything that I felt was because she didn't do a damned fucking thing to do what most call, the right thing and I got screwed over for it. I got so screwed over that I'd never seen the end of those images in my head, the pain, the screams and the pleasing would never go away for as long as I lived.

And she had the nerve to touch me?

"Don't _ever_ touch me again, or I will break your fucking neck." I hissed at her with all the built up hatred and this long suppressed anger that finally came back. It took years for me to calm down but I couldn't do it when I saw her face and this person's face align. I pressed my arm a good deal to cut off the air in throat, "I tried to forget what happened to me years ago Laura, it took me four long god damned years to try. Yet I can't, I can't forget because it haunts me to feel my arm being shredded like a tin can and that god awful feeling of having your throat being crushed inch by inch. To have your voice being wheezed and growing fainter as the lack of oxygen makes your body begin to convulse." I pressed my own limb to accent my point to make her gasp out loud! My eyes were burning when I had that urge to crush her neck in spades and honestly, I almost followed through on it.

I shut my eyes before continuing as I heard someone running up the stairs, "I honestly want to beat you black and blue, Laura. I really do and it's very hard for me to consider it, so tell me something. Why should I even give a damn about what your saying, I don't think of you anything less then a person, so fucking give me an answer that makes sense to me." I kept myself perfectly aligned to do some physical harm, I nearly wanted to cross that line but what good what it do me? I almost laughed at how _noble_ I sounded in preventing a justified hatred that came calling back, I wanted to do this so badly but was it worth it? I nearly answered yes at this very second, yet I wanted to prove to this thing that I was more of a person then she'd ever consider me for what happened.

I waited eagerly to hear her response yet I never got to hear it.

"Alright kid, I know you and her got some bullshit between you. However I don't have time to play some fucked up baby sitter, so let her go now or else I'm going to make you." A man said who had a face of utter annoyance came to within feet of my left side. I noted the pistol slung on his waist, he had intentionally brought his jacket back to reveal the firearm. I nearly told this guy off, I nearly did but I relented since rationally I wasn't bullet proof. While revenge, vendettas or plain old wounds were ideals that were indeed bulletproof, I wasn't and it was going to suck if I got shot. I gave one last glare at the doctor before releasing my hold to have the woman freely drop to her knees.

She was coughing loudly as I stared at the man who had put away a pair of sunglasses, "Tough guy with a gun and threatens a someone whose not even an adult. Why am I not surprised to think that?" I sneered disgusted at the man who snorted in irritation. He didn't like the game that I attempted to start because he simply told me off.

"Any kid has to learn to listen to adults, pistol or not, but you got issues and I ain't in the fucking mood to be maternal. So act like a smart ass and I treat you like the punk you're acting out to be." The man stated unimpressed at my less then excited mood. I already hated this guy with a passion but in a way he wanted to be the big man with a gun, I couldn't do anything. As much as I wanted to flip this guy off, I merely settled with doing the best thing that came a close second. It got him to exhale loudly as if he were debating to take me down right now.

I gave him dual birds of flying prey, the two middle fingers and I simply retorted back, "This punk just might kick your ass if you got the balls to start with a minor. I wonder if a guy with a gun, a guy like you, a guy who wants to play hero with a woman. Said hero that's going to learn that the damsel in distress is just the devil in disguise." I drew a long series of laughs from the man, oh he really was tempted to hit me and I could see it. I wasn't a genius nor was I a shrink to know when the man wanted to do that. Hell I nearly would've done it too if I were in his shoes and that was saying a lot of things really.

"Press, just don't do it. This has been coming for years, I got off light." Laura finally spoke out loud while getting to her feet, I made no move to help her. I kept my attention on the guy with the gun, I had no desire to get blind sided. I barely kept an ear open for what happened next, I thought this day would have looked up but instead it was the worst one in years. Inwardly my rage simmered down into a dull burn that kept itself alive for the time being.

"I bet it would be light if I wasn't here." Press said looking pointedly at my expression, he waved off the tension easily, "You sure we have to bring him in? I get the other guy, but a kid and a punk at that? I don't see the big deal in bothering." I almost swooned when this man said it, fuck him being an enemy if he wanted to be my best friend, then I'd gladly go about on my way. I waited impatiently since I had that urge to drive my bike down to the rally, I wanted to mingle with people for once and just forget this crap ass day had ever occurred. Although I had a funny feeling my luck wasn't that damned good to base off for my well being.

"Please for the love of god, I beg of you to do let me go since I'd rather not deal with this right now." I waved off the woman who had gotten onto her feet, I thought the guy looked annoyed at my comment. If he didn't like then he'd piss off, I wanted to be as far away as possible from this blond thing next to me. I would be a happier person if that became the answer to this problem, I wanted nothing to do with Laura, the lab and all the hellish dreams that came up with it. Being locked inside a meat grinder was enough for one life time, I'd rather not go back to ground zero to contend with it.

"Alex please, we just want you to answer a few questions about Patrick and we'll let you go back to your life. It's all the government is asking out of you." Laura said quietly to me as I rolled my eyes. I retorted back sharply, "The government or you? I'm sure as hell I remember signing a paper as a thirteen year old kid in keeping my mouth shut. I'd rather not break that verbal commitment, but hey, whose going to believe a shredded teenager screaming about monsters when as he sleeps. Does that sound about right?" I made her look down as old memories hit her hard, I personally had enough of this shit. I wanted out and I wanted nothing to do with this bitch, this jackass next to her and that fucking hell hole called a god forsaken lab.

I wanted nothing to do with it ever again.

My legs were putting me past the guy with the gun, I eyed him quite irritated even when he let me go. He didn't want to deal with the hassle yet he me gave a warning, "Alex, right? I don't give a rats ass about you and Laura's little _thing_ or whatever the hell happened. You try to drive off, I'll just have a group of guys in black cut you off and drag you to wherever you need to go. Then we'll put you in timeout for about a day just to piss on your day." I had to give this guy credit in what he considered to be balls, I had no idea in what to do here. I wanted to call him out on his bluff, I really did and I held all my will to just inhale deeply to get my shoulders moving. I so wanted to deck him in the face for this little conversation, I didn't like him and he'd be a stupid jackass to try to shoot me in broad daylight.

Yet I manged to get my brain to form a sentence, "Men in black? I doubt you can track me down if I leave, so try me."

Press merely looked to the blond who explained somewhat apologetically to me, it nearly made me explode into a rage. "Alex you've always been tailed by the Federal government regardless of where you've been. We never lost track of you and you're technically a security risk, one that's been very cooperative to your agreement to never speak about S..." I knew what word she was going to say, I just knew that word was coming. I quickly cut her off loudly and to the point in where she wisely shut that hole in her face. My eyes were burning with a internal desire to ram a spear down her throat to have her choke on her own blood, the very same feelings I had to deal with years ago.

"Don't _ever_ say that name to me. It's bad enough I have to say yours, but unless you want to be on the ground, I suggest you shut up." I noticed a certain car pull around the corner when I heard the man, Press state about the men in black. I scowled clearly pissed off at how seemingly my world was crumbling, I tried to get away from the past but it kept on following me. Both literally and metaphorically in one big crappy package, I just knew that this week was going to suck now. I didn't have to be a shrink to that know either and I just inhaled deeply trying to ward off the rage locked away again.

"So what's it going to be kid? You can take a ride with us, or with them. If you behave and what not, I'll have someone drop you off back here. It's a simple deal, I don't have time for bullshit." Press gave me the ultimatum quite simply, I had to again give this guy credit. He knew when to not gloat, or make this anymore annoying as it could be. I just looked over at the sky to allow my jaw to twitch left to right, I had no choice and the guy was offering a simple deal. A deal that just sucked for me and I couldn't do anything to say no too.

Placing both my hands in my pockets I started walking down the stairs, I just called back over my shoulder to tell them to hurry up. "Sooner we get this over the better, I don't want to spend anymore time in hell then I already did." I didn't bother caring when I flipped the car full of agents that had been tailing me over the city, I let my rage vent out with flipping them off.

I leaned next to the truck to head back into a hell that I wanted to ignore completely.

Laura watched the teen go down the stairs before exhaling shakily, her hands were absently rubbing her neck in where the strength of the youngster hit her hard. He had grown up into a potentially dangerous person who violently would lash out given the chance, well that would be the rational side of her but she knew it was because of her presence. Alex was never the type to hold a grudge yet she managed to break that little streak of his years ago. She inwardly feared that the rift that was between them would never be healed, well he'd probably amend it enough after breaking her jaw in.

"Christ woman, I never pictured you to have kid problems." Press said shaking his head, he had both hands in his pocket to stare at the teenager waiting by the truck. The young kid was just staring angrily at the opposite side of the street. He nearly missed what his former partner said, "Just imagine if he was actually mine. Alex was never like that when he was younger, it's just I made a mistake and lets say we got this person now." Laura said sadly as she started to slowly walk down to the vehicle, Press got a bit interested to know what had happened. He looked to the woman and to the younger boy, he knew for sure that nothing _romantic_ went on with the two.

So god forbid if that were the case, but he simply went with the flow.

He smirked somewhat humorously and sardonically, "Having affairs behind my back woman? Damn, I feel bad I got left out for a teen and I never knew you liked them young." The doctor gave her former interest a look that wasn't appreciated, she knew his crude humors were merely apart of his charm. More older memories from years back hit her in the chest, so now she realized that was possibly another mistake she made in a long line of them over her life.

However nostalgic she knew it wasn't welcomed as she clarified, "I'm not in minors Press but if I had a son, I'd say Alex was at one time like one to me. His parents were colleagues of mine and they were workaholics to the worst, well they were dedicated to the Species research yet they manged to forget their only child. I still see that young twelve year old sitting lonely by himself, I think many of us were struck by how innocently he charmed us to talk to him. It's probably why Sil..." Laura trailed off much to the man's growing sense of curiosity involving the teenager waiting down in the parking lot. There was a history going on between the kid, Laura and that other alien she-bitch from years back. So color him curious in wanting to know about a story that had been obviously covered up, it smelled like someone stepped in shit in other words.

"So what happened? Between that kid and that other one." Press referred to the first species that had been cloned and born through human genetics. Laura didn't want to infringe on what little privacy that remained in that age old mistake yet the man needed an idea. So taking a great deal of thought and pressure she managed to answer somewhat bitterly, "Let's just say Sil wasn't as isolated as you were lead to believe the first time. Lets just say I made a mistake and a child was subjected to trauma that most adults would die from Press." The answer didn't satisfy the man who only looked at her as if expecting more. He wouldn't pry but if this were made public then his first time in hunting down the species would've been nicer.

He still had to get away from a few bodies that were shredded by that she-bitch the first time around.

"You know I get the feeling, when time comes for me to know about the kid and that other one, I just know I'm going to hate you woman. I mean it really, you do have a tendency to get guys like me or anyone pissed off. Just letting you know that I just have a gut feeling." Press said resigned to the blond who smiled somewhat bitterly. Not because that it was barely true, it was absolutely true and it never got any better to stomach. Laura looked to the skies to seemingly get away from the troubles and the reality that was occurring, it barely helped the old wound that refused to heal. In the end she just sighed heavily while moving towards the base of the stairs.

"If you think it's bad now, you just wait till he sees Eve. God knows how he'll react to her, Press." She said this softly as the man could only shake his head. He didn't care and didn't wish to think about it, yet the kid knew of the other she-bitch inside in the box. So this new would probably just as well shock him just as much as he saw her for the first time. Laura just kept on playing with fire and now it'd eventually burn her to the point where it wouldn't do justice for all the trouble it was worth. Just another day in being human on this small world, Press unlocked the doors to see the kid get in the back of the truck with a slam of the door.

Yeah...

He knew babysitting would get old real quick and it was only the start of the afternoon.

* * *

Eve smiled incredibly delighted at she had felt through this link of her own doing.

Now despite it being a one way route for the time being, the entity could feel the burning desire to harm and possibly eliminate the human woman who was a friend like figure. She had to push herself in order to maintain a consistent link that took a lot out of her mentally yet the energy rush in succeeding made ran on the treadmill that was in her glass prison. However despite her progress in reawakening certain parts of herself that were dormant, there was something odd about the boy for sure as in there were instances of him feeling her presence. If there was a word she could describe in what the boy was facing, it simply hinted at a potential that made her abdomen churn in utter bliss.

She searched her own mind for an answer, or better yet a prediction that lay just out of sight in the boy's own body.

Transition.

Little by little another part of him had been stirred after a long hibernation. Surely a hibernation that certainly did more then just wait idly if she could pick out strands in the cracks that were forming. The link wasn't the most powerful in her attempts yet his mind had slowly adapted to her presence, it'd do more than for any human which was impossible to enter their own heads. But the consolation price would be identifying emotions through touch, or whatever traits that she herself had picked up. It was always accurate and she never questioned it, it served as a great means to keep herself surviving. The entity leaned back in the chair she was sitting in to exhale deeply.

Eve heard the words that were echoing faintly in her ears, " _Don't_ _ **ever**_ _say that name to me."_

That fire in promising a swift brutality made her spine tingle, it wasn't false bravado to hear the hurt and the rage in the young boy's tone when it came to her predecessor. Something indeed had happened and she had caught glimpses of what the interactions were like in the past. A mystery that served to entice her as a means to the whole scope of what drew her to him, it was like a moth being drawn in to the flames because of how tempting it was in the first place. Eve wanted to know more in both physical and mental aspects about how it was even possible for her to link into his head. No human from what she knew was capable of such a feat, so color her curious and attracted to what the creeping memories were triggering in her psyche.

The entity got pulled out of her thoughts when another wave of pleasure crashed into her body, she had to gasp out in shock and sweat began to line down her neck. Just then another wave of something more primitive was crushing her very sense of reason, it nearly made her scream out in apparent need and hunger! Whatever source of that sheer instinctual drive was at work once again, it practically made her disabled to see where in the world to find the origins. A different entity of sorts that was the same as her own but different in a more instinctual way, a male, one whose very existence to expand offspring as it seemed.

Eve had to contain herself as much as possible but that thrill of escape hit her ten-fold on top of this surging heat inside. Despite this blissful feeling, Eve had to control her body to ease itself down but she knew that containing these urges would be essential when the time came. It was close on hand, her instincts were true in that regard and being patient was what would be the ideal manner to spring to do what she desired for once. In no longer playing the lab rat to the humans who considered her as a means to exterminate what her kind had done to theirs. Memories of her predecessor's life had filtered into her head to see the very same, if not more violent, experiments that they had done to her as a child.

Apart of her that wasn't human had reached a breaking point to live free.

Yet the human side of her knew that if she was like anything like that outside entity of a male, to draw attention would be the worst situation for every human to come after her. So she had to be patient, to be patient in seeing the traits of any source for her to continue a line and for once she'd listen to her human rationality to do what was necessary to survive longer. It wasn't ideal to say she couldn't wait to leave this prison, but merely frustrating to remain passive. So the only source of her means to get away per say would be linking with the boy that entranced her in dreams, the dreams that were an only means to leave behind this painful reality called living.

Idly as she turned her head to the side to stare at the various assortment of humans, the guards, the scientists and the entire group of them stirred an older instinct. Loathing, she envied them in a way but at the same hated in how she was treated like an animal because of what happened before she was ever created. It hurt in some ways, but more so it drove her to find someway to get back at them without causing death as her predecessor. Maybe that was what was truly human about her, to beat someone at their own game and to go beyond it to attain a happiness for living. She wasn't ignorant to think that most of them were the same, they had their good, bad and the interesting.

Her desire lay in that last category, that boy stirred something both human and not inside her more frequently when she tapped into his head. The answers were locked away for both of them yet in a way she was thrilled to consider doing what she required. The ache in her chest hadn't gone away but instead it had grown worse like a sickness. Regret seemed into her body, the regret in the pain he had hidden away for so long and that hate directed mainly at two sources for the cause of it all. Her predecessor and himself, Eve knew that self inflicting pain because she used to have a similar outlook when she had first been experimented on.

So what was wrong with her truly?

This question sparked someone calling out to her faintly, " _Sil! Are you alright? Holy cow why are you trembling, are you sick? Please Sil just talk to me, please tell me what's wrong!"_

The words echoed desperately when Even gasped out loud, her hand went to her temple to feel the throbbing flesh beyond the bone. Something in that question triggered a long unforeseen rush of hunger, desire and panic that made her clench her chest. Her hands were over her heart as it beat rapidly at the influx of phantom agony and confusion, it seemed her predecessor had a memory that was one of the most painful in her time amongst the living. Residual feelings that were forsaken for years had come back to her minds eye, she could see the boy in his younger self.

A hand concealed one of her eyes to reveal reptilian slit seeking to form within her pupil.

" _What happened? What happened between you and her_?" The entity asked herself quietly, the echoing screams and flooded emotions surged forward like water breaking a dam. It consumed her to ask those questions, to know what had drawn her to such a person who she had never saw yet knew. Perhaps in another life she knew him yet knew not what he was truly to her. Physically her body was responding in a way that surprised her in a good way, so why did her only organ that kept her amongst the living ache so badly that it hurt to breathe? Eve growled lowly to have her vocal cords alter a bit, she had never been this confused during her tenure amongst the living.

Exhaling deeply both of her eyes trailed to the labs doors, the answers were out there and staying in here would mean death in the future. A future she couldn't allow for the sake of her own feelings, desires and instincts that were awakening at a rapid rate. Still despite being human, they had ways to adapt and to do what they needed to continue living. It was the same thing even now, she had to be patient and patience was always rewarded to those who saw that opportunity. Nothing ever said it was easy though, nor would it be simple to wait and Eve had to calm herself down to settle her mind that sped on ahead.

On a better note she idly tapped into that link once again, she had to get away. This time around it made her smile to ease the pains inside her body. She felt that presence and warmth getting closer, Laura had succeeded in bringing the person who had entranced her as she slept but the reasons never concerned her in how. All that she knew that the boy was coming to visit the labs, she had to see him him, she wanted to see him and to see how much he had changed from those years with her predecessor. Honestly she felt nervous in a good way, if this was what it felt to see someone that made their heart race and he certainly caused it.

It felt absolutely earth shattering to wait and count down to when they'd appear.

" _I can't wait till I see you in person, Alex."_

She'd be the first person to say to him words that would certainly make her feel enlightened. Nearly she started to giggle out of complete amusement, she hadn't laughed like this before and it felt strangely teasingly. Glancing down at her hands, she watched as they clenched to ward off the anxiety in seeing something that technically hadn't been seen in years and for once she'd say to someone that sounded completely natural. Eve smiled when she tested the words to herself, they came out of her mouth very easily.

"Welcome back."

Those two words sounded just right to welcome back someone who had caught her attention and she'd be damned to not say something to him.

He was coming back after years running away.

 **End Chapter IV**

 **Author's Note:** I got to say this story is racking up more reviews then some other categories that had been on here for a bit. It's kind of shocking to see some people take an interest in an old B-Rated Trilogy that was certainly iconic in its own right. I've read a lot of the suggestions, I don't plan on really going the distance when it comes down to crossovers, Alex's eventual evolution, or whatever people are insinuating. I mean this story is just going to be done to plan I've got it out for, it's just has a lot more to deal with the human factor and I like the pains of explaining what something could have been.

Someone asked me if Eve was Alex's daughter, I'll say this as no, no because it'd be a bit weird to justify why an offspring is attracted to it's parent. Also the moral decay from human to alien is a leap as it is yet I'd not go that far. Eve is just absorbing and unlocking residual memories via by her means of escaping the prison she had grown up in, I can only offer you readers to see this on going struggle for freedom and peace. Freedom for a caged creature that has no idea in what she can accomplish and the forced maturity of a young child who seeks to find an end to his nightmares that torment him every night. The goal in this story is not the means to attain a happiness, but the journey of witnessing evolution adapt itself to survive for a chance at that happiness within its own right to freely flourish.

Basically I'll quote a famous saying, _"Life finds a way."_

So keep on reviewing and I'll keep on posting, it's all I got for now.


	6. Chapter V

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Chapter V**

I've always said to myself about my time during the labs that it was a nightmare.

All it was just a bad nightmare that turned on its head to kill me. It was just another part of my life even though I wanted to say it wasn't real, but I had to contend with spine tingling details that emerged when I stepped out of the truck parked past the front gate. I recognized all the signs of armed presences, the armed guards, helicopters flying around and the less then friendly people staring at me. I'm sure I recognized a few faces years ago when I was a lot younger yet I doubted many would see me now. It felt like the place barely had changed from the last time I saw it's confines.

Home sweet fucking home.

And for the love of god...

I hadn't missed it.

I had both of my hands in my coat pockets to hide the clenching limbs, I really didn't want to come back to this place. The last time I remember was being carried out on a stretcher, I had to be optimistic if that was really the last image I saw when I went under. My heart thundered inside my chest to have the beats echo in my ears when I followed the people who were leading straight back into the hell of my nightmares. A lingering sense of curiosity tried to dissuade the anxiety inside my mind yet it only served to get me wishing this day would be over.

A day that would certainly never allow me to forget it as a slight pain racked my arm.

" _Why the hell is my arm acting up again? Damn it all, I don't need this and a headache right now."_

I winced when a dull ache appeared at the back of my skull, I had shake it off to not let this place get to me. If I had face it, I'd do it with the strongest front I could manage and it'd be the last time I ever set foot in here again. My mouth pulled itself into a scowl, I knew as much as I hated this place I had to face this place one day. I bet some would call me crazy for going back to a place that almost killed me and they'd be right, I had no choice but to do it in this case. When a person is forced in an offhanded manner at gun point, I'd say the choice was obviously clear.

"You going to daydream, or hurry it up kid?" I glanced to the man standing in front of me, Press wasn't too thrilled to see staring at the lab's location. My eyes rolled before I retorted moving at my own pace, "Why don't you shut up? In case you didn't know, this place and I, we don't get along very well. Then again even a simpleton like you can't imagine it, so I'll just day dream for your inconvenience." I had to grin at the expression forming on the man's face, I already warned him beforehand so if he couldn't get the hint now. Then I'd say he deserved to put up with the bull I was about to give him.

Hell really I didn't like him and I'd say that was going to be clear from now on.

So I kept on walking trying to ignore the armed guards who were carefully gauging my mood, they weren't deaf or blind to know that I wasn't happy to be here. Maybe one or two of these soldiers knew my face because I started to see a widening of the eyes on several of them, I even noticed a pitied expression when I went through the main doors leading into the lab complex. Slowly but surely I witnessed the details coming back into my head to see a parallel. A parallel between the years and now, I started to feel the coldness encase my heart.

I was afraid.

Afraid of coming back to this place that made me wish those years were gone. I had to be an idiot to think that something like that could simply just be _forgotten_ because I wanted it too. My smile that started to form wasn't out of comfort, nor would it be happiness per say. I smiled because I could remember every single god damned scream that torn through my throat when I was thirteen. Almost fours even after those moments were finished, I heard it all when the my ears considerably rung with those events.

" _Sil! Sil? What's wrong? Please talk to me, please tell me what's wrong with you!"_

Those urgent and concerned words rang out to me, they were my own and I never forget them. I walked past the doorways leading to other sections of the base's interior, I passed by the old lounge that I once waited for my parents. I glanced at the secretary doing her daily tasks on the computer, I caught her eye as she inhaled sharply my presence. I gave a bitter smirk that echoed a more less then pleased mood, I guess that woman remembered the moment when a child was practically a mead slab of meat.

So I wouldn't doubt if anyone else could not remember that picture.

" _Doc! Please you gotta help Sil, I think she's sick! Please get someone!"_

I started to chuckle loudly to myself when that particular piece of memory fluttered into my mind.

I glanced at the passing wall while shaking my own skull, " _I really said that. I actually said that and in hindsight, I think getting help was the smart thing."_ All my muscles contorted to tighten to where my knuckles were cracking openly that caused the people next to me to glance in alarm. I ignored them to continuing following as I stared ahead with a look that would put most men to shame, I glared angrily at my own incompetence in not understanding the dangers.

I never understood what the danger was because I was blind.

All by damned child like innocence to have a friend.

By doing so, I'd been blinded by trying to a good thing to help my friend, I almost trembled to the point where I'd exhale sharply, I wanted to help her. But no child could help when a monster that had been asleep and finally awakened. It took something a lot more in order to understand just what in gods name I had triggered loose, I didn't want to remember those moments leading up into what Sil truly was. I bit my cheek to draw blood to have the pain snap my mental state out of that funk. Rolling both my shoulder as if warding off a cold chill, I had to remember why I even came back.

I may have been forced back into a hell.

Yet I wanted to find out what was wrong with my cousin.

Patrick was still my family, I had to understand what was going on with him. I knew he tried to explain to me over the phone but something forced him to stop. I just didn't understand in what was eating my cousin who I thought of him as an elder brother alive, I had no idea. If I had to get answers to questions by going into hell again, oh I'd do it as many times as possible. I wasn't abandoning my relative to fight a problem on his own, I wasn't like my god forsaken parents who left me to essentially alone. So alone that I practically wanted to befriend anyone who was willing to talk to me.

So desperate that I befriended a monster.

Desperate in way that I truly, I meant I truly thought Sil and I were in...

I felt water leak down my eyes, now really I couldn't believe it. My body may have healed over time but my heart was something that I'd never have a clue in solving why. Apparently my reactions caused someone to speak out to me. I thought of it as irony since I didn't want to hear the owner of said voice, but I welcomed the means to ignore my pasts grieving moment.

"Alex? Are you alright?" Laura's voice sounded next to me when she noticed droplets hitting the floor ever time I stepped. I didn't answer her at all, I just continued with my hands in my pockets to move instinctively to the area that I knew all too well. I welcomed the distractions but in the end it was useless to ignore what was in front of you, I had to deal with it. Every time I closed my eyes I saw that prison glass entrench itself onto my psyche and it certainly loved to torture that imagination I had in spades.

My jaw tensed in that sense to nearly crush my teeth, I knew it wouldn't help anything but it served to vent my anger for the time being.

"Your kid seems like he's out of it." I heard Press mutter to Laura, I almost had to stop dead in my tracks.

So for once, I did so and I practically started to laugh now.

In fact I started to loudly laugh as if I heard the greatest joke on the planet. My tone made the man have his hand dip into his coat to handle the concealed pistol. So I just put my clenched fists into my trench coat pockets to spread my limbs back. I felt every pore on my skin scream out in phantom agony, the arms that were shredded into pieces of red meat, my abdomen filled with scars from serrated nails that sliced my open and the crushing sense of suffocation around my neckline. I fucking felt it all and I nearly started to truly lose my grip on reality as a result, I hated this damned place so much.

I hated it with all my being as of this moment.

And I willingly walked back into hell all for the last of my family.

So god damn me otherwise for trying to contend with this fact of my nightmares.

"Out of it? Oh hell no, I'd like to think that, I'm in it completely." I turned to grin rather bitterly at the man who looked a bit more serious at my projecting mood. He seemed almost wary as if I'd make a move to truly hurt them for real, I mean it was tempting but I wasn't suicidal. I gave them both the warning that once I came back to this place, I'd certainly admit it wasn't my favorite social club to share my excitement. So if they were fearful of what I'd do inside this place, well they were going to find out one way or another I absolutely would never be comfortable here again. It was all apart of the consequences for them to deal with and I didn't give a damned about them at all.

Not a single damning word could describe my feelings at the moment.

I walked into a familiar junction that seemingly made me pause in my thoughts.

My eyes took in a familiar chill that went up my arms and down onto my back. Here my heart rate thundered as every beat seemingly made my entire skeleton vibrate, I had to take deep breathes to see where the hallway was taking me and it was down memory lane. The worst memories were just begging to be released and I did all in my power to ignore it, I just stared vacantly forward to somehow dissuade myself. Unfortunately all this did was just make me realize something that truly made myself a human, I had to practically bite my tongue down in the process.

Fear knew how to make any person think about what truly terrified them in their dreams. It was that taunting prospect to see it, to not confront it but it lingered inside your head completely taunting me. I wanted to ignored it yet that inevitable pull to see it came around to terrorize my minds inability to place it aside. Nightmares were what made any person I reckoned to lock up or seize themselves in a fit of insanity to be consumed by it. Everyone person had their limits, they had their ways and most probably were so fearful of the repercussions that they wanted to avoid it at all costs.

And I was not the exception to that either.

" _Help! Doc please help me get her off! Laura help me please!"_

I remembered screaming those words in a desperate attempt to ward off something that struggled to kill me. My throat tingled as a subtle burn slowly encircled the junction in where the only means for myself to breathe. Absently one of my hands traced the faint yet visible scarring that couldn't be seen unless someone were on top of me, a fact I'd avoid for the rest of my days and my body recognized this trauma. I had nothing but the nightmares returning to me as the screaming of something not human echoed into my ears, I shuddered and trembled openly in remembering those god awful screeches.

When I stepped into the very same hallway all those years ago...

I saw that same damned metal door.

"What in the name of god did you do to this kid, woman? I've seen similar reactions to people with PTSD out of a war zone and they were never this _jumpy_ at all." I briefly heard Press mention to the blond who didn't reply much to my smile. We were moving towards the doorway as various cameras were following our movements, or rather someone watched me yet again. I turned to stare at one of the contraptions which seemingly specifically had its lenses on my form. Adjusting my hat to conceal a particular view of my face, I turned back to see the doctor moving to the panel to slide open the double steel doors.

However I decided to indulge the man due to his caring and utterly heart felt concerns. Maybe I tasted this sarcasm as one enjoyed to see the misery of others. Waiting in the center of the hallway when my headache grew worse, I cupped my temple with my left hand to speak up. So when I did I allowed the grim smile to just flourish openly.

Even more so in the question that followed rhetorically, "Now isn't that the _million_ dollar question?"

Both adults looked at me when I said those words almost gleefully.

I shrugged mainly out of resignation, "Now I'm not one to play coy, or to simply beat around the bush but really it's rather simple. Shit, I'll even give you a hint just because I like this trusting relationship you're so desperately building with me." With a smile in place, I managed to slowly have the will to reveal the reason why I said about Laura. She wasn't human to me and I'd do the favor to break her jaw if I could do it.

Yet the man gave me a dispirited if not annoyed look.

A smile split my lips apart when I asked a simple question, "Why so serious man?"

I parroted an age old saying that certainly made a few characters proud.

I eyed the blond slightly off to the side entering a digit code on the panel, I even had to admire how hurt the scientist seemed in the sense of avoiding a sore subject. Flexing my fist to crack my knuckles, I had the free hand of my own simply start to roll up my sleeve. Whistling a merry tune I spoke up to the man whose attention I had despite the sarcasm which threatened to drain out of my vocal cords. However I was a man of my word to not lie about any truth, I certainly had a way to display said truth in the form of merely motioning him to get closer.

"Years ago when I first came here, I made a friend, a friend who didn't appear in what she seemed and honestly the ignorance of that kid tried to overlook an obvious fact. Funny thing about children man, I'd say they have the best intentions and that innocence to try crazy things. They tend to hope more so then they dare to imagine the consequences of ignorance." I laughed rather sardonically at my own experiences. In fact I laughed a little hard just so I had a tear forming in how pathetic it seemed in retrospect.

The sleeve went past my elbow to reveal a huge amount of scarring tissue and skin that seemed to be out of an animal attack. Serrated if not skin tearing reddish scars were reveling in a fit of throbbing pains that seeped back into my very core once more.

I heard the man whisper two words and he didn't realize they came out so naturally.

"Holy shit."

I gave a smile worthy of a fictional doctor whose intents were always of the cannibalistic sorts.

"You got that right."

Spreading my arm to reveal the full extent to the man, I'd ask him, "So I want you to imagine something here and place yourself in my shoes. Imagine as a kid you knew someone who you thought you knew, an easy thing to assume as an adult, but for someone who hadn't even hit middle school. That perception is all too easily broken in the form of those who you trusted to tear open _this_ and _that_." Smiling almost vindictively at how the man found himself paling a bit because of what I implied.

I had tapped the side of my temple to indicate my mind. Also I tapped the most important organ of all when I was a child, I made a slash marking around my chest to indicate a torn out heart in the metaphorical sense in all it's majesty.

Pain...

Agony...

And most of all I felt a powerful ungodly despair.

I started to laugh completely in earnest despite the growing looks of horror from the two adults, "Now if you can imagine all of that in the mind of a teenager. Then you and I my friend." I did a whirling motion with my index finger to Press. The man had a very stoic face yet he had his hand on his weapon still, I gave him all the more respect in that sense." I'll give you a lot more credit and respect to know what the hell I've been through inside this place. Never trust those who are too kind to you, never trust those you know you've never met and expect them to pull you out of a hell that they all too willingly put you into." I ended my little piece of what I thought about this place, about the government and that kid inside me.

I glared at the blond doctor as I passed by her while moving forward to see the doorways started to churn inwards.

My headache grew to the point in where I started to rub my temples to ward off the aches, I couldn't understand what made my skull throb. Inhaling sharply I managed to see the line of guards on the side of the doorways who were standing firm. Shockingly enough I noted all of them were female based on their shapes. Walking forward without a care in the world I managed to ignore the various eyes and wandering whispers in seeing a young adult like myself just walking into this place. A place I knew that seemed familiar yet for all the more reasons it looked alien to a room I once stayed in.

However when my gaze wandered in front of me...

I stopped dead cold in my tracks.

My eyes were completely wide at what I was witnessing, " _Is this some kind of sick joke? You have to be fucking kidding me!_ " I hissed out those words mentally when I saw the panels of the glass prison that looked way too familiar. My heart raced when I realized that an age old terror I once thought to be dead, a foolish trust that I practically should have denied myself too. I stared long and hard at what the hell I was seeing with my very two eyes once again.

Absently I heard the doctor and the other guy walk up behind me.

I spoke one word with the coldest tone I'd ever muster.

"Sil."

My eyes were completely fixated on the figure of a blond haired woman, she sat in a chair akin to a comforter staring right back at me. I felt all my muscles inside my limbs go slack when I nearly trembled with a long forgotten rage, an emotion so heart gruelingly raw that my jaws were clenching way too tightly. " _No, no, no. This isn't possible, Sil's been dead for years and I know for a fact that the government had a hand in getting rid of the mess. I was told that she was dead yet a person who looks like exactly liker her. Sitting right in front of me, no less."_ Shaking my head left to right, I found my lips tightening to the point where I barely felt anything on the forefront of my face.

Every possible cell inside my brain told me that this couldn't be possible yet alone anything less.

Laura spoke up from behind me placing a hand on my shoulder, honest to god I didn't flinch from touch because of the woman inside that cage. My ears were numb when I forced myself to listen, "No Alex. It's not Sil, I know she looks like her and by all intensive purposes Eve is a clone of the original girl you knew. Eve is a totally separate entity from the one that you..." As the doctor's voice grated on my nerves, I scowled angrily yanking away off her hand. Due to my action she stopped in her explanation because in what I did next.

I glared at her from the corner of my eye to make her go quiet.

Both of my eyes were blazing infernos of enraged disbelief and sheer shock at the guts this woman had. Who in the fucking deepest parts of hell gave her the right to explain what this _thing_ in front of me would turn into. I knew that all too well, "Wow! You really think that I'm that stupid? Of course I knew the real monster and surely I'm well aware that Sil wasn't human _doc._ No thanks to you, so do me a favor and fuck off!"

It seemed my suggestion got Press to chuckle when he walked past me shaking his head.

He glanced over at the blond woman who seemed sullen at my growing rage, "Finally someone who thinks that this she-bitch is something not human. I don't know what the hell happened to you kid, but if you're that pissed off about this knock off clone, well I'd say you have a good instinct to watch yourself. Color me impressed for real, ha!" Usually I'd reply with a tense retort yet I felt a welcomed sense of agreement. Miraculously I kept my emotions in check somehow, so I just gripped my scarred wrist to rub away to soothe the pains inside these phantom episodes.

I still couldn't believe it!

Eve, or more accurately to my mind, this was Sil clear as day.

She kept on smiling at me and it brought old emotions long since buried.

"Great! I thought things were bad enough, so what the hell am I doing here? What's up with Patrick and I really don't give a damn in whats sitting inside that glass cage." I finally relented looking at the blond woman who motioned for me to follow her up a flight of stairs leading to a second floor. I managed to ignore a tingling sensation creeping in the back of my head yet for some reason I stopped. Tremors racked inside my cranium when I gasped out loud trying to ward off the headache that became a literal migraine now.

For some reason I thought I heard words.

" _Look at me, please."_

Words that refused to allow me to walk away.

Grunting when droplets of sweat started to move down my neck, I grasped at my forehead. My skin felt incredibly warm right now, I'd dare say I shouldn't have been feeling normal and that's what scared the living hell out of me. Just what in the world kept causing my head to hurt so bad? It felt like a nail kept being driven into the back of my skull, I couldn't do much but bare with it and it came close to me for screaming. My lungs had to take in huge lungfuls of air for me to re-imagine just where I found myself to be in really.

Yet when I raised my head to turn over towards the glass.

I almost moved back a few steps.

That thing inside in which was Eve or whatever it's name was now. Well she had stood up standing at the edge of the glass while tilting her head at me expectantly. Her face got so eerily similar to Sils that I nearly had to do a double take, if I'd peg Sil to have grown up and all that in which came naturally. This person called Eve, she would have been the carbon copy to be mistaken as her mother, or an elder sister if they were compared side to side physically. Something else kept nagging at me to really understand, or rather sate my curiosity that reared its own ugly head.

With a huff of exhaling air I figured why the hell not?

If I'd relive the whole of my terrors...

Well I'd at least confront a literal close second of its coming.

Ignoring anyone who tried to speak to me, I stuff my hands into my coat pockets allowing my bare forearm of scarred skin visible. I walked towards a cage I had once stepped willingly into so many years ago, I willingly walked into the lions den without ever knowing what it truly meant. Snorting softly I noted a few guards were tensing at my brazen display to ignore any established protocols towards interactions. I was well versed in similar notions because of my time amongst Sil, I had to obey a lot of rules and regulations regarding interacting with a monster. Normally anyone would say that'd be a means for safety in any given situation.

Ironically I cared more for the safety of the source of danger then my own skin in all it's obvious forms.

I didn't take long to stand before the very glass I had painted red once.

The woman looked at me interested in a manner when someone found an expectant find. Her eyes were literally scanning my entire body without restraint, I barely resisted to flinch when I stared directly at her. Both eyes so similar yet different from Sil's own orbs, I nearly blinked when she smiled at my face which had a flat expression at best. However I couldn't change when I spoke the first words as I once did so long ago, "Deja vu. Makes me wonder if you've ever seen the outside, though I guess that's kind of an obvious eye sore." I stated blandly to the blond whose face lit up at my voice alone and I found it almost akin to Sil's own interest when I was a lot younger.

Eve didn't say a word to me despite my question.

I even gave off a snark grin when she kept on smiling at me.

It really annoyed me at how subtly amused she presented herself to this situation, to humor it I even gave her the obvious hint, "What? Cat got your tongue or does something as you yourself speak? I'd be really pleasantly surprised if they didn't teach you to speak your mind, or were they afraid of someone going through what I went through inside this prison." Apart of me considered taunting this thing as a means to get back at Sil, I considered this predictably being human in the sense of being a right to grieve.

I hated this place without a doubt but I'd not forget in what I learned here for the rest of my life.

In fact I'd dare say that I really wanted to comfort what scarred me head on. That thought considered to be either insane or just brave seemed to appeal to me. As well with that notion to confront anything that you feared head on became even more emboldening. So by whatever thought I considered, they all had it's pros. Since to top it all off, I felt it made it less scary when anyone thought about it at first. So overall I'd take this sense of encouragement on any bad day given to me.

Yet I pulled out of those thoughts when I nearly shivered at an amused voice.

"Perhaps I know more then you care to believe. It wouldn't be the first time you'd see how quick anything changes." The woman across from me inside the glass spoke up entertained at my expression. Twitching my jaw left to right, Eve seemingly placed her palm in where it'd align with my own. She continued onwards regardless of what I had in mind, "This place is as my prison as it can be my home. I wouldn't know what the outside world would offer to someone like myself, but I can think of a reason in why I'd want to learn more about it."

I didn't like the sound of that last part much to my inner concerns in how this thing stared me interestingly in a manner akin to a long dead monster.

I resisted that instinctual call to flinch at a pair of eyes tracked me and I retorted back, "You can't change a fact that you aren't human. I made that mistake to believe that perhaps someone could change but all I got was all these scars. And these aren't even my worst ones." My arm flipped itself over for the woman beyond the glass to stare at it rather sullenly much to my hidden surprise. Eve seemingly wanted to reach toward my exposed flesh as I winced when the pain inside my arms got ever so serious.

I never noticed how much of a crowd that had gathered to watch my interaction with this laboratory's occupant.

As the lack of any noise made this even more unusually eerie.

Eve pressed both of her hands onto the glass as she murmured faintly enough for me to barely hear it, "Human? I've known that ever since I first remembered in what I am and perhaps there's no hope to understand what I am. I'm not human but I guess I can still try to become more of something else for any human to ever understand." Her eyes flickered to my own as I felt a cold chill crawl up my back at how intense her gaze hit me. I wanted to deny her claims that she wouldn't be human, I knew she'd become a monster if she was anything like Sil and to be fair I'd be happier in never setting foot back inside this place.

I already wanted to never have set foot here except it wasn't about me...

This was about someone else.

A cousin who considered to be my brother and my only family I had left in this world.

In the end I just snorted, "Don't try to act coy with me. You want to hope for something? Well hope you never get out of that prison because there's a reason why you're behind it in the first place." Finally I had enough seeing an old nightmare stare at me in the face, I started to turn around. My face completely rigid in every aspect from my jaws to my own eyes which were completely glaring at nothing in general.

For every step I took, I swore I heard Eve's tone became slightly higher as if she didn't want me to leave her sight.

It showed with what she said next to make me freeze, "Then perhaps you have more of a reason to understand why you're here as well. Alex."

Both of my fists clenched tightly when I glared back over my shoulder at the smirking expression, "How the hell do you know my name? I don't make it a habit to advertise it to things that are monsters."

Eve just ignored the comment before looking over to a certain someone in front of me as well. Following the gaze, I found out the reason why when the doctor shifted uncomfortably when I snorted in sheer expectation. Of course the obvious stuck out as I continued on my way down the small flight of stairs onto the main floor of the lab.

While getting away from that thing standing in front of me, I just shook my head. I just shook my head because in what I'd have to deal with for the remainder of my time now. " _I don't even want to know what Laura said about me, I swear to god I don't need it on my conscious right now."_ So this place made another Sil, another monster for some other poor bastard to try to understand and to only be nearly killed off. Maybe kindness was a weakness, a weakness for the human will to try to wish for the impossible and a logical answer always came around as a result.

People died for stupid ideas.

As rarely did those ideas ever pay off.

Approaching the doctor as she looked more stunned and simply had no words for what just happened in front of her eyes. I gave the best impression of a person who finally had enough of the games, "You better tell me what the fuck is happening to Patrick, doc. If I have to relive this never ending nightmare of a place all over again, it'd better be for a good damned reason and I'm not happy at all." The woman could see that I wasn't playing around, I wasn't merely saying this to act like tough or to be like a punk at all. I really didn't want to be here at the source of what gave me terror, I wanted to be here to know why my only family was in trouble.

It was my only reason for that I stepped back into this place.

And I wouldn't accept anything less.

The only consistent factor I had inside me right now as a never ending pain riding up my arm.

However what came next when they lead me into that room.

I honestly could say...

I felt like my entire world had just crumbled before my very eyes.

 **End Chapter V**

 **Author's Note:** Drop a review if you wish, I'd certainly take it as a motivated means to an end.

It's been awhile mainly because I didn't know where I wanted to go with this story, honestly I still don't. However I forced myself to at least try to figure a way out, well more like a way forward in order to contend with the fact that this story isn't as high of a priority to me. Well apart from the other ones I've been tinkering away at.

Yet I'll still try my best to continue this story.

It's all I can hope for and for you readers to show how much you like it.


	7. Chapter VI

**Species the Unknown Strain**

 **Chapter VI**

I couldn't believe in what I had just heard, hell I swore my face lost all traces of color and I became paler then a corpse. My mind refused to process in what had just been said to me, I didn't want to believe it. Deep down inside I truly wanted to vomit, honestly I felt sick and to be fair who else would react the same? Tears were leaking down my cheeks when I looked up at the people who literally dropped the worst thing I could ever hear. It didn't make sense for I had just recently seen them all and now this shit came onto like it was a complete sick joke.

One of the few who were my family was dead.

My aunt Anne.

She of all people was gone.

" _Please god, oh god please no!"_

Tremors racked down my back as I bit down on my tongue to stop the choking that nearly came up with my voice, "No! I don't believe it, I just saw my Aunt and my Uncle at that celebration dinner recently! There's no way she'd be dead, god damn it that is so fucking bullshit!" My eyes were daggers in glaring at the two people who were giving me the most sympathetic looks I'd ever imagine. More so to Press who usually would have told me to shut it, however he had a grim yet resigned look with that small bitter smile to go along with it.

He probably inspected her corpse more then anything.

And it hurt to see that look.

" _Christ! He's not lying!"_

Laura tried to reassure me but my patience snapped when I stood up violently while covering my face, since for all that was holy I didn't want to hear it from her. Although it made little difference when I'd be forced to listen, "Alex your aunt was a kind woman, I can say that truly and honestly. Dennis was brought here earlier and we found him to be fine, so take some peace in that. However it's your cousin Patrick that we need to bring in. He's in danger and we only want what is best for him." I couldn't stop the trembling when I tightly gripped my arm when I felt the entire limb heat up in a surge of pain that made the tears fall all the more naturally.

As much as I wanted to continue crying, I knew I'd have to stop it.

Right now I needed answers and I'd get them somehow. Sniffling to wipe away the tears stinging down from my eyes, I took a deep breath to ward that grief back. It wasn't so easy to know that bitterness lingered inside my stomach, I just saw her not even the other day and my aunt was dead. It seemed that future prospect to living with people just got shot down to earth in a fiery blaze and I couldn't help it yet my teeth were gnashing together enraged.

Biting back that blistering hatred at myself, somehow I managed to rasp out angrily. "Who killed her? Just who would the hell want to kill her in such a short amount of time?"

The two adults in front of me looked to one another briefly and I knew for sure that they had an idea in that moment.

Yet they didn't say a word to explain.

"Well?"

Despite that prompting word they looked at each other to have Press snort as if the woman's gaze said enough to warrant a negative. Rage filled my veins when I realized they weren't going to tell me jack-shit, lord in heaven I didn't have to be a psychic to see that they wouldn't risk information being leaked. So I stood there facing them down when my fists were clenching to the point in where all my knuckles were popping in open view. I refused to allow myself to become so enraged that I'd want to break skulls to get an explanation however it certainly tempted me.

It hurt beyond belief to remain calm.

Press eventually replied back with an exhaling sigh, "Kid if it were up to me, I'd say why. But for the sake of keeping Uncle Sam and the woman here civil, let's just say that the entire crew brought additional baggage from their trip. It's also the reason why I'm asking you to keep an eye out for your cousin Ross and immediately phone us if you see him." Did this suppose to make feel sated, or completely satisfied? I mean if that was supposed to satisfy me, well the man did a piss poor job instead to get me irritated.

I didn't even flinch when he stared me down.

In fact I practically smirked disgustedly at him, "Of course! Uncle Sam and his all the better vow of silence! Always the government wants this all to be hush, hush. It's not like having a teenager cry out about monsters and what not is going to be believable to anyone, so yet they still threaten him to shut up about what attacked him. Sure, I get it, all too fucking easily as I see it." Those words were hissing out in such a silent fury that the man gave me a look of annoyance. My skull shook completely disgusted at the two federal agents who had varying expressions to my genuine anger.

" _Fuck you both!"_

Press I bet could see that I would be very uncooperative, so I hoped it'd give him a damned headache. It was all because I was being denied anything regarding the truth about why. In why I had been forced back here, in why I'd have to search for my cousin and in why my family member was dead. Why couldn't I get some damned answers to make sense? It honestly didn't and why should I have all the will in the world to help these fucking people?

They made their grave, so let them sleep in it for all I cared!

"Why the hell did we have to bring him here?" The man asked the blond doctor almost sarcastically as I manged to bite back a scathing answer. If I had my answer, I'd have definitely torn this guy a new one and not a damned soul on earth could say otherwise. I bit down on my tongue to ease down my rage which struggled for supremacy against my good will. All in all I'd have to say, I nearly let go a good four years worth of pent up frustration to do some physical stress relief to this place.

In the end I did probably the most mind boggling decision I'd ever make.

I actually wanted to help.

Settling on crushing my fists together inside my coat pockets, I bit out my words very carefully. The temptation to tell them to fuck off nearly killed me, "So you want me to find Patrick? What makes you think I'd be any help since you guys _clearly_ don't know where he's at, I haven't talked to him since before he went off to Mars? So tell me why?" The two looked at me with looks of surprise and Press seemingly chuckled. I had no idea in what exactly was funny but Laura managed to clarify her partners amusement.

She sounded genuinely worried about what I'd be getting into.

Even though I hardly cared in what she thought really.

"Because your related to him and that's the reason why. Patrick is your family, so maybe you can find him quicker then we can. You probably know where to find him, so if you can, contact us or please get him back here. He needs your help, Alex." The woman said to me in manner that was indeed the truth, she didn't hold back in trying to lay it out right to me. I stood there rooted in seeing her eyes pleading with me, I could see it in the same manner in when a person truly felt compelled to follow through on their intentions. It nearly got me anxious to understand in what they were asking of me.

They wanted my help in hunting down my cousin for some reason because something went wrong on Mars.

And they just expected me to figure it out?

I had no clue where to begin or even imagine where my cousin would be right now. Although I gave an extremely amused grin when I realized something odd. An old image began to influence my voice all too easily in a snark manner, "Really? Help? That's a word I didn't think you'd ever have in your right mind to use _Doc_." This had to be years of pent up legitimized anger or else I'd have asked to get the hell out of this interrogation room. Personally I should have done that yet apart of me just didn't give a damn otherwise.

I had every right and she was the obvious choice to vent it out without getting physical.

" _Go burn woman, just burn in hell."_

It seemed my anger made the said person sign heavily as if trying to ignore the salted wounds that my metaphorical knife kept jabbing into, also unexpected Press started to laugh. He started to chuckle loudly while clapping his hand as if he were enjoying my mood, "Kid! I've had enough of your little bad-boy routine, jesus christ I'm fucking sick of it just because I have to do my job." I snorted as I found his honesty completely amusing, hell I almost thought it'd be a joke to make me crack a smile at the thought.

"Cool story pal."

The reaction he gave off really made my day all the more brighter, I swore I saw his eyes close when a very familiar expression came around. The kind in which I humored the man's growing annoyance at my attitude, I bet he wanted to punch me square in jaw. But I kept on going because it made me feel a lot better, "You know what? Do you want to get some coffee and sit down to talk about it?"

The government agent looked at me as if I were crazy for some reason or another.

Eventually he let off a tired groan as he rubbed the underside of his chin, "Oh man! Punks like you kid, they make my day when they start balling like toddlers once someone beats their ass down. You better pray I don't have an excuse to do it, so I don't give a damn about what sorry ass sob-story you went through here." His eyes bore into me without ever so blinking, I cracked an eager smirk to prove him right and see if he had the balls to try to do that inside a room with cameras. So I figured to at least humor the more mature inside my brain to settle this like real men would.

I sat back down to fold my arms while giving off a knowing smirk.

In fact I even gestured to the half-revealed metallic object known as the firearm holstered, "Who said it I had to give a sob-story? Shit man if you want that kind of story from me, I'd say use that gun beneath your jacket because clearly you need it to intimidate me right?" I had to give myself credit because I was on a roll in feeling a lot better to insult him. Truthfully if he wanted me to stop this little fuck about game, all he had to do was just stop talking to me. So it wasn't rocket science in my mind to shut myself up.

Then again what should have I expected?

He kept talking to me like I actually gave a damn about whatever this place had gone through. I simply ignored it's existence because I'd be sent off into a mental asylum for even daring to speak out, so I got that picture dropped onto my head. Yet it didn't stop the fact that I harbored all the resentment for years and now it started to earnestly come out. As much as that laughable notion to literally drop a hint, I ignored it and kept on enjoying this little game. He could call me whatever he wanted, shit I didn't let it bother me because this was the best way for me to cope.

So if he kept on talking then I'd oblige him to pass the time.

Again the man kept on rubbing his face when he wistfully looked over to the grim faced blond doctor, "I'll say it and keep on saying it. Just why the hell did we have to bring this punk again woman? Please I beg to god to enlighten me here!" Apart of me wanted to keep on going, I wanted to see if I could piss this guy off to prove my point. However as fast as I'd say to run my mouth off, I did want to find out what was wrong with my brother. It seemed childish to go through moods like flicking a light-switch on or off.

Yet I managed to grind out a shockingly civil tone.

"If I do see Patrick, I can only ask just _what_ do you want _me_ to do about it? I don't have a phone or anyway to contact this place even if I catch a glimpse of my cousin." Mentally I wanted to add more but I wisely kept my brain to a stand still to watch Laura of all people give a brief sigh of relief. She pulled out a small rectangular phone of sorts, the black shape came to flip itself to reveal three rows of numerical that made me blink confused.

" _That's a cell phone? Aren't those expensive?"_

My eyes drifted upwards to the original owner.

Laura had gently slid the phone over across the table to have it settle right next to my folded arms, "Alex if you make contact with your cousin, or even if you manage to catch a glimpse of him. There's only one number programmed into that phone and its to the other one that Press, or I will have on us at all times. We just want to find him to help him because..." She turned away while trying to form words that would make me less likely to ignore her plea and soon enough the blond continued, "Well he could potentially be a danger."

Inevitably I asked that two worded question.

"To who?"

Both adults looked to one another immediately as I waited impatiently for an answer. Press eventually shrugged as if he didn't have a problem to allow her to answer it. I'd bet my bottom dollar they knew the reasons why and I got deliberately shoved in the dark to not know anything. So it surprised me when Laura said that one word to get a cold chill to crawl up my spine. Her tone brokered no room for anything other then a fact.

"Everyone."

I didn't like that word in how it had been used. Nothing came close to get me uneasy in how she hadn't stopped herself to say it, or maybe it was the way in how she merely said it in a straight forward manner. Why my eyes refused to turn away, I'd never know but I did clench my fists to ward off that shivering feeling within my back. Just what did these people want from me, or rather what happened to my family?

Why me again?

Leaning backwards into the leather chair, I inhaled quietly to at least stem the growing surge of curiosity that ran rampant. Nothing made sense to me after all what Laura, or the government wanted to make it clear in my eyes. " _So after four years they left me alone, they left me to do whatever I wanted and all of a sudden this place needs my help? Bull, it's all bullshit! Come on Alex use your brain, it wouldn't be for something stupid or anything less important. But over that phone call Patrick didn't sound right, so should I go along with them or try to dig for answers?_ " Everything started to crumble as years of righteous resentment and anger started to drift away for the greater danger to what few were my own blood. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place, I didn't know whether to accept it wholeheartedly or remain on edge.

"Everyone?" I parroted like an idiot yet I managed to look at the two without sounding sarcastic which was a feat in it's own right. So to ease my anxiety down I voiced the response as it revolved around one specific word.

"Why? Why is he a danger to everyone?"

Predictably I started to realize they were intent on keeping me in the dark deliberately now.

"Kid leave it at that and call it a day. Just keep an eye out for him, god forbid you mouth off to anyone, least you can be an extra lookout. You see him, or even catch a glimpse just fucking call us and we can sort this shit out. Alright?" Press looked at me tiredly as if he were getting annoyed in repeating the same lines over and over again. Laura didn't take much to imagine the regret to not reveal anything relevant, so I pegged my honest felt request to be a dead end. Closing both eyes to calm down helped a fair bit when the familiar darkness gave me a sense of control.

Why did they really want my help?

Didn't they have trained soldiers, or even specially tasked agents who did this type of thing? It just didn't add up to me because I hadn't even been back in this city for years. When I got old enough, I bought a motorcycle and what not to just get away. It worked mainly because everything around the lab themselves were a bit foggy, or rather the mundane details yet the important horrors remained to haunt me at every turn. I hated the fact I'd never be able to fully be normal, I already felt like I couldn't even have a decent future now because what little I had for a supporting family was dead.

The world seemingly loved to piss on my days.

Reluctantly I took the cell phone to close it's sliding component with a slow movement, I pocketed the device to look at the man over to my right. Giving him a placid look, I asked ever so politely. "Can I go back to my hotel now? Clearly I'm not going to get any answers from people who really wanted me back here for some god damned reason." I'd get answers alright, I'd get them from the horse's mouth itself which was my cousin. I would keep an eye out yet I wouldn't exactly pick up the phone, I knew my brother who'd tell me anything if I actually just listened.

It worked when we were younger so why wouldn't I do it again?

Press looked like the lord in heaven gave him a sign, "Finally something I'm not annoyed about! You going to keep this kid here any longer Laura, or am I free to get back to my job? The one that the government hired me to do?" I kept keeping my anger in check for the time that I could do so, I guess I finally vented out some frustrations to warrant the silence generated as I waited for the response. Though I got a shock when Laura looked up past the windows to the glass cage as if debating something internally.

"Before you go Alex, can you please hear me out about something." My expression would've burned ice without hesitation yet what else was I supposed to do? Sitting in a room that became a partial interrogation wasn't exactly hard to miss, but I grunted to say I'd somehow find a way to hear it. I wasn't going anywhere so why not deal with it now? Laura took my lack of movement to continue with a request that honestly made me blink.

No way.

Smiling briefly I told myself sardonically, _"What are you even thinking man? Hell you know that's way too kind."_ I knew for sure wasn't the right analogy I'd say. Because what she said next wanted me to ram a hot iron rod right through my ears! All in all I really wish I'd wish to burn out my brains ability to understand and even comprehend the words used.

Unfortunately I heard it all too clearly.

"Is there any way that you can spare some time to talk to Eve? I know she wants someone to tell her about the outside world, well I think so and I did at least say I'd ask you directly. You knew the only other person who lived inside her home, she honestly just wants to have someone to talk too. A new face I guess." Apart of her felt guilty in asking a young man who already went through a lot to stay inside a place that nearly killed him. However she knew inwardly that the chances were less then slim, plus since that time the facility had added layers of security and personnel to prevent a repeat.

It had negated the risks for a close encounter of the more gruesome effect significantly.

I looked right at the woman who had a sincere expression that hid nothing, I started to chuckle a little unexpectedly. My hands came out to rub both palms to give a warm feeling trace down my arms, "I know you're not joking because you'd be a lot crazier to say it'd be good for me. Appreciate that thought but is your request an honest to god rhetorical question?" All my fingers were tapping the opposite row of knuckles on each hand to ward off the opportunity to exploit another shot at this place.

God damn that temptation struck me really hard!

I nearly gave in to the emotions altogether. Even Press chortled when he hid it behind a cough because I'd peg it for sure that I knew why he found the woman's request comedic. So the odds were in my favor to reject it yet for some reason I actually wanted to say a few more words. She wanted me to talk to that thing in the cage? I got that much, I truly understood why and personally in hindsight it'd be a nice thing to do.

But I wasn't exactly that nice person now was I?

Her response became somewhat strained in a way when a person had enough, "Eve hasn't exactly had the best life Alex." It didn't take much to trigger an angered mood between myself and the woman who tried to play the worse-off like card. She probably didn't mean to go that route yet something resentful entered the room. Subtly the air shifted as if the feeling in being confinement became all too apparent to anyone occupying it.

"Neither have I, Laura and you don't see me playing the pity card."

My causally flippant retort came faster to only make the elder man in the room snort.

"More like the punk resume."

The cough barely masked the whole truth ever since I got dragged back here.

"I get it. You really have changed."

It must have sunk in as the woman looked at me with a hurt look that bordered onto an open regret. It was true that I may have been at a young age yet I knew when I personally couldn't stand those eyes. They regretted everything that they once saw, I could bet my right hand that she truly thought I'd be some mature young man who could put everything behind him. I'd bet any money she wanted me to confront the horror that triggered my nightmares for years and all it took was for her to have some hope that I was a stronger person to come back.

Well I told myself this much to make me feel justified to walk away forever. Hell I heard distant voices entered my psyche as I could exactly imagine when that cold realization hit me fully. God damn I actually remembered those actual thoughts to know to completely scare me senseless. As a younger child I couldn't help yet it struck me full on without mercy, or hesitation. Seeing something so innocent twist into a monstrosity.

I had no longer faced a person.

I faced a monster who woke itself up.

" _Sil! Come on snap out of it! You gotta calm down, it's me Alex! Don't you recognize me?"_

Every second I could remember those sensations in having flesh being torn away and I remembered every god forsaken moment to experience sheer genuinely natural terror. Those inhumane screeches in having my throat being chocked as I frantically pleaded to the person who I thought was my friend. No not a person, I gave too much credit to Sil, she was a monster and nothing could change that fact. No matter how many tears I shed to beg her to stop, to stop killing me and you couldn't reason with monsters.

" _SIL! STOP! PLEASE!"_

My eye tightened when I distantly heard those cries for help! Familiar notions in realizing another horror, to know you weren't considered a person as well. I'd been a sick living experiment to see what if a monster had interacted with me, I could remembered that ever so diligently. Not to have anyone stop that nightmare and not once did I forget the sheer indifference that blond woman who sat in the chair to look at me as if I were a mouse being eaten alive by a snake.

I remembered every detail and I could say this without feeling pained, or hurt...

So fuck her!

" _NO! GET OFF ME SIL! HELP! ANYONE!"_

Fuck her hell bound hope because I would never forgive her!

At the end of these freshly triggered nightmares I just smiled very simply at the woman who did nothing to allow something terrible to happen, I'd never forget it. If she wanted to do nothing then I'd do nothing to raise a finger if such a moment came to pass, "I'll say a few words to that thing in the glass prison, I'll do that without a complaint. I'll even offer advice to it because this is the last time I'm _ever_ coming back to this hell-hole again Laura." My legs steadily got my body up without any miracle to keep me sitting. I said my piece and personally, I'd get as far as away from this place after I found out what was wrong with my brother.

"I hate this place."

I'd do everything to remain strong to find him to get answers.

With that I walked over to the doorway with my scarred forearm completely visible for anyone to stare at it. Adjusting my cap to conceal the burning sensation inside my own face, I had slight tremor rack my entire frame when I opened the door leading to an overview of the lab's placement. Glass panels did little to conceal that awful emotion called sickness, the very organ that kept me living became almost like a nail being jabbed into my chest. I'd do the very last thing I would ever consider doing but since I was a nicer person then most, I would carry out the request.

I'd face a monster again without complaint.

And unlike the last time...

I felt nothing except a cold indifference to have it remain inside its prison.

* * *

Eve had heard every word through the supposed thickened glass that she had consistently heard Laura argue her right as a human to those who wanted to continuously treat her like an animal. They didn't understanding being partially human but now things were truly changing for once. As she had heard and felt those very same feelings boiling inside herself as well. That resentment couldn't be masked yet she could keep it at bay longer then most beings in her position.

She stood up to see the boy walk down a spiraling staircase onto the main floor.

At such a close proximity her connection remained uninterrupted to get a full dosage of resentment wash into her mind. It wasn't the fact that her target of interest wasn't unaware, nor was it troubling to keep such a link open but urge to ask for answers really hit her hard. She felt such a kinship to the young boy and indirectly she wanted to experience that freedom to get away from everything. Eve wanted to know what it was like to be something other then an experiment that received nothing except pain.

But an ever growing warmth trickled forth to make her heart beat faster.

Why?

Why did she feel such a strong pull from someone who she had never met yet it became so familiar like she had known it her entire life. It tugged at her, it taunted her and it gave her a warm thought to know it'd never leave her even in the darkest nights that made her tear up. It remained with her without hesitation and it never went away to give her strength to deal with the torment inside the body that was a test tube to kill her.

So it begged that question as in why?

Her eyes tracked every movement made by the youngster who ignored the guards who were hesitant to stop him from approaching the glass barrier. Several of the elder female scientists were shifting uneasily as the young man brushed past them without breaking stride. She watched with an eager expectancy to feel the turmoil beneath that desperately tried to be controlled. Almost he succeeded yet that powerful hurtful sensation crawled up her back to make her inhale slightly, almost too easily did the lack of distance make this source so inherently clear.

The lab.

More importantly the distant memory that revolved around one face.

Her predecessor Sil.

Sil's face didn't differentiate from her own, so the twin in her mind's eye only stared right back at him almost curiously in similar manners. They were alike but they were not the same if one took that time to understand herself. But to the boy who unknowingly had kept her awake many nights, she had experienced faint memories and sensations of happiness to make her sleep easier stood right in front of her. She could easily pick out the burning anger, the cold hatred but it wasn't any of those that ran strong inside him. Eve may have had limited understandings to voice words for what she felt, but in the end she understood what stood out for the young male.

Grief.

Betrayal.

Most of all Eve could feel an too familiar pain.

" _Every being can relate to it, including me."_

Those fleeting sensations paled to the true depth that loomed within the young man as pain itself wasn't so difficult to imagine. Eve kept her face naturally curious to see the flat expression on the approaching youth who miraculously started to bottle up the emotions rather endearingly. She let loose a small smile to possibly entice the boy to let that damn break as it became a sort of a game to see if he'd snap. Fascination dawned on her whether she could make him angered, or he'd surprise her to remain level headed in their latest encounter.

It excited her to see how much she'd have to offer to see him react and it'd become a small game to test him for her curiosity. Eventually her priorities became straightened as the boy came up to her doorway in which she fluidly stood to face him down. Despite their ages Eve noted the young man stood taller then her very easily and he wasn't even fully matured. Images flirted past her mind's eye to get an estimate got her heart fluently beating happily.

Unexpectedly she initiated with a smooth boldness that even shocked her internally.

"Back again so soon?"

The question wasn't meant to be a teasing sort yet her curious nature got the better of her will to poke the boy's fortitude. He hardly flinched, or even sneered to mock her for their positions. Alex just stood there looking at her with a flat look. It'd be a great mask if not for the fact she could get a sense on the swirling tide of emotions that lingered behind his eyes. Orbs that were scrutinizing her for any sign that rekindled the memory of her predecessor.

"Someone's looking out for you. So consider this talk a miracle in itself." The boy finally replied to her with a resigned snort when his hands were inside both pockets on his clothing. Having a pair of clenched fists certainly gave him a sense of peace which she found admirably simple but effective. His face offered no signs in being agitated at all.

" _Laura actually came through, I'm rather shocked."_

Eve hid the rare surprise to herself to merely listen to the taller youth.

He shifted to look down at the glass barrier, "It's funny that I'm actually standing in front of this damned doorway again, well willingly now. Still it's not the same as the one in the past but I think you get the picture." The entity laughed silently as the boy had no idea, oh he had no idea in how clear those kinds of pictures could be really. In a fit of excitement to see him so closer, she ever so subtly have her own body inch closer to the glass entrance as a means to show her positive response to his voice.

The youngster didn't even blink at the shift in their proximity since he felt sure that the glass prison would keep them separated.

"Laura said you wanted to talk to me and as much as I don't like her, I'll give you your _only_ chance to have your hopes crushed. You want to know about the world right?" Alex humored bitterly with a smile that certainly made her intrigued. Several questions arose inside her mind immediately but she crushed them all in order to maintain a playful inquisitive mood. The effort alone in this venture would pale to her wildest dreams if she attained the prize itself.

"No. Not exactly"

She told him playfully as the world could be seen through what was provided to her stagnant life. Her eyes traced the boy's cheeks to see the soon to be stern facial structure, "I already catch glimpses of the outside through the television. What I want to know is what is it like to ride?" Fleeting images of seeing this boy on the said device linking her desires and wants to see the world came to the forefront. She wanted to ask this because it was the first time she saw him without being obscured in dreams on such lonesome nights.

Alex's expression became a bit confused as the question obviously caught him off guard.

"Ride? You mean ride a motorcycle?" He asked her just to clarify as she smiled charmingly to positively assure the intent. Confusion ran rampant inside his head now because she simply indulged a genuine curiosity, "Out of all things you could have asked me, why that? You had one chance to ask me anything about the outside, I meant anything and I'd probably would have answered it." His admission stirred both of their similar moods which started to search for any sign to indicate the answer.

Another game that inwardly pleased the entity at her core.

She enjoyed this mutual feeling called personal amusement.

That sudden spout of honesty intrigued the more pleasant side that had sparked her interest. Where was that sneering bitter young man, or the ever mocking tone that he approached her with? Why did the boy just appear to be very civil all of a sudden now? Staring intently right into his eyes, Eve tried to find a source or any passing surface thoughts to give her an edge. However it proved to be her undoing in a way as the boy gave a smile.

His own gaze swept over the small home to see an obvious clue which unintentionally startled her mentally.

"Oh! I think I know how you know I ride a motorcycle because I can say I told no one here about it. You saw me on at the bike rally on TV." He gestured to the said object as Eve bit her lip. He deduced that how? What gave it away, or rather how did he get to that assumption so quickly? It fascinated her to know that even through the amount of negativity the young man held a sharp mind to piece together facts if he could find the trail to lead them to an answer.

" _Problem solver. Intriguing."_

So she humored the assumption all too naturally.

"What gave it away?"

Alex's face morphed into a sardonic smile which wasn't forced in anyway, "Call it a hunch and a bit of common sense. I got put on live TV at a popular bike rally for the local city plus you have a fully connected television. I'm willing to bet that you get their local stations, so do the math and tell me that I'm wrong." The challenge wasn't fully an invitation on his part but it got the point across. Her only question had given it away because it was so peculiar to ask about riding motorcycles on the outside. Eve mentally smirked at the vivid assumptions that were entitled for the boy's mind to grasp at on such short notice.

It also helped that anger gave him an awareness to focus as well.

What came next truly startled the entity openly as Eve tilted her own head curious in what came next. The question wasn't stern nor demanding as the boy merely asked her with a straight face. "What makes me so interesting for you to find this funny?" Alarm sprung up indicating a vast response to understand did she give her link away? Her anxiety got crushed immediately when her rational self knew that he wasn't aware of the link she had painstakingly nurtured to keep the door open for her to feel better to live.

How did the boy know she was enjoying this conversation?

"What do you mean?"

It seemed her question provoked a great deal of pain to rise up inside the boy's mind. He stood there smiling almost disgusted while slightly shaking his head. His scarred arm came to adjust the hat to have it adjacently cover his face, "You know what's really funny about this so called talk? I don't think I'll ever forget how a monster acts or reacts to a person's confusion. No, I don't think it takes a lot to understand monster when someone already knew one."

Eve blinked a bit puzzled when her mind picked out the nostalgia bubbling to the forefront of the youngster's brain. Alex stared right back at her with a pained expression but the smile loosened the rage inside his hands. Knuckles were popping in the only concealed hand and she noticed the faint moisture buildup at the corner of his eyes. Waves of nostalgic sadness slammed into her as it made the entity get ever so closer to the glass wall.

How did he know?

And the answer shocked her to the core!

The boy simply shook his head as if their whole interaction was a literal blast from the past, "I don't think you know but you are _exactly_ acting just like Sil! God almighty I can definitely tell you're doing the very same _damned_ thing when she wanted me to get flustered. You don't forget what a monster does before it turns on you." His gaze pierced right through her as a cold feeling ran up her back. That familiar feeling known to humans as fear began to become all too certain when her intentions backfired.

Anger came back surging rapidly into the youngster without little restraint.

He grinned to bite out the words when memories influenced the boy's tone, "Oh yeah! Sil liked to play games. She liked to play because it made her happier to sate her curiosity about something that intrigued her personally, or if she wanted to mess with me. She did it because she wanted me to..." Abruptly the young teen cut himself off immediately as emotion choked his words away. His shoulders shook when his face dropped to hide itself from view but an ever aware Eve stared intently at a small detail.

She watched as a small liquid droplet hit the floor.

" _He's crying? What did I say?"_

Alex exhaled heavily to compose his swirling emotional state that boiled over finally. In fact he had breathed in and out for a moment to get his heart rate under control. Even through the glass walls she could heard the beating organ furiously pace itself due to the adrenaline rushing inside the veins that carried it's owners life liquid. Their confrontation had caused every pair of human eyes and ears to watch them silently, the entire lab had quieted down to listen in to the two. Neither of the two beings acknowledged the wandering human body parts.

Soon enough the boy found some sort of strength to speak up again, "You want to know what's it like to ride?"

Eve didn't have to nod.

He waited for a moment to let it sink it.

"Too bad as I said, I'll be the one whose going to crush your hopes for what you're asking." The entity tilted head curiously as the boy looked up to face her, "You'll never know what's it like to simply keep on going to get away from what hurts you the most. I rode across the country trying to bury what gave me nightmares beyond any person could imagine, it's so amazing right? To have that choice and freedom to roam to simply get lost to forget everything." He got his face to look right at her and it struck her hard to see the look of a person who found an irony worth being happy about.

It all got directed right at her without restraint.

"You are never leaving this cage, I'm betting on it. Monsters can pretend to be people but what I can say for sure is that monsters like Sil, or you cannot even hope to try. Because when it boils down to that _one_ moment when they wake up, they can't be reasoned with, nor can you beg them to change back. They simply do what they want regardless what you plead to them. Monsters don't give a damn when beg them to stop!" Alex's eyes were reddening as tears started to form against an inevitable transformation into salty rivers.

An ever growing agonizing headache throbbed to make her wince slightly as the boy cupped his chin.

He shook his head once more to ward off that potent grief.

"This is the last time I'm ever setting foot inside this fucked up place. So enjoy this life because as a monster you'll never know what it means to be a person." Eve remained stoic to the emotions slamming into her mental link which started to dig deeper into boy's psyche. Her instincts didn't lie when felt something within him _stir_ as she watched his arm tremble openly now. Beneath the burning skin she inwardly could envision muscles starting to internally spasm when they were torn apart to grow back stronger.

As the boy started to walk away the entity within her found this development all the more interesting to understand.

Speaking up loudly to piece the glass walls, Eve prompted a question. "Don't people become monsters as well Alex? If that ever happened to you then what cage would be used to hold you?" The boy froze mid step while rubbing his forearm as it started to burn through their link. Eve's passive expression turned semi-serious to have her eyes stare intently at the trembling youth. That intriguing smile threatened to form again when she got an answer because of a simple fact, she'd take a stab in chance to know most wouldn't answer her question.

The fact he refused to cower when faced with something that terrified him.

It became endearingly fascinating.

Twisting his head to the side to reveal an eye Alex replied almost bitterly, "Whose said I haven't already been placed in a cage with monsters? Especially with one who I willingly befriended because I thought she was a person. So I'll answer your question with another, why would anyone else think you'd be any different?" The boy turned away to walk towards the main corridor to be escorted on his way to the outside world. Eve longed to be at the boy's side to feel the sun on her skin and have that feeling of freedom to do what she wanted.

Her goals hadn't changed at all.

" _I think you should ask yourself something first, Alex."_

This encounter only spurned her to continue searching for an answer to break free. She wanted to be free of this pitiful life that treated her as an experiment. An expectancy that would more then likely end her existence and she'd be fight it to prevent that end. Her instincts were slowly coming to fill a void that had been suppressed and isolated. People who were the real monsters had made her into nothing but an expendable testing ground to kill her kind.

Yet humans always made mistakes, they always did.

"If you ever became a monster, then who will think that _you_ will be any different from me?"

The entity's pupil shifted into a clear reptilian slit as skin briefly shifted under her face. Eve would remain patient as always she had been and be ever so vigilant to find that way out. It's what her predecessor had done in the past and if push came to shove, well the female entity smiled to herself all the more contently.

People would learn to not stand in a monsters way.

And her pupil shifted back into it's humane state.

" _I will get out, I promise you."_

 **End Chapter VI**

 **Author's Note:** I guess if you message me enough, I somehow manage to write things out. Drop a review please, really I'd appreciate your thoughts and predictions on what's going to happen. You clearly see the movie isn't going to the same by any means my dear readers. In regards to some asking if this is still the same story well if you weren't sure if this story was the same well you know now.

Plus I mean really if any of you really think that this story is similar, or the typical copy-paste scheme to what I previously wrote at this point in the old fic? Well tough luck, I'm not making some sappy romantic story that's hell intent on giving a magical happy ending. It's obvious at this point that there are _darker_ and far more _realistic_ undertones to this story as a whole. Before you say to yourselves, why or what do I mean, I'll boil it down to a simple explanation to really avoid the confusion.

In a realistic sense if a kid whose not even thirteen ends up in a situation to what our main character has gone through you can say that I do not believe he'll be very normal. It's like any traumatizing experience for people to go through, Alex had the means to get away when he had the chance too. He tried for years and years to bury, or wash away the horrors he went through but the past is never truly forgotten in this case. You can say that he's an asshole, or a complete irrational angered teenager whose had no outlet to vent this deep resentment inside him.

Is he justified to treat the two agents like crap?

Maybe so or perhaps he's just a punk kid who clearly can't let go.

Also about that complete turnaround in which Eve wanted to do a little game, the nostalgia isn't there for merely shits and giggles. Eve is a _similar being_ to Sil, so Alex has seen enough in his past to really jolt him to see the signs of a playful yet manipulative verbal trap. Even in the second movie physically and mentally Eve had habits which are eerily similar to Sil in the first movie and by proxy, I'd take shot in the dark it'd be recognizable to someone whose spent time with a certain entity to connect the dots.

Let me make this perfectly clear.

Alex is not going to be some shrink, or a genius when it comes down to the specifics of what Sil and Eve generally are technically. He doesn't know that their aliens, or an unknown disease like organisms. He knows that Sil wasn't human after what he went through and Eve is something similar? He's going to be naturally wary and completely on his A-game when it comes down to seeing the signs. Hence why this chapter might seem to some a bit _odd_ when the conversations were veering away from Eve's intentions.

Plus the shift in perspective is really challenging on my part to make it fluent and it adds more diversity to guess who understands what.

As it is wait till next chapter.

I don't mind the PM's you readers send since it's nice to know people really care for this story.


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